Flying under the radar almost unnoticed is an initiative of long-term benefit to the automotive value chain and to the Australian environment that I now share with members. It is the ambitious Waste Motive initiative that aims to better manage the automotive industry’s plastic waste liability.

Over the past two decades, the trend in automotive technologies is to increase fuel efficiency and reduce carbon missions. This has led to a significant increase in the amount of plastics used in automobiles which is now almost a third of the volume of all the materials. Whilst technologies have advanced, the management of the industry’s plastic waste emanating from repair processes or collisions has not. There is little regulation or action taken on how automotive plastic is managed, where it ends up and how it is processed by industry or individuals who pick it up. The current options for the collection and recycling of automobile plastics are limited with the vast majority of it ending up in landfill as there is little reuse or recycling of these parts.

The Waste Motive initiative’s core objective is to better manage the automotive industry’s plastic waste. To achieve this, the initiative brings together automotive industry leaders, community groups and government to work cohesively to achieve plastic waste sustainability. A partner in the Waste Motive consortium is Planet Ark – a leader in environmental sustainability. It developed the Australian Circular Economy Hub where research work is undertaken on redesigning our waste and pollution, creating new ownership models and innovative systems to recover material.

Currently, Planet Ark is working with members of the Waste Motive initiative to develop a Product Stewardship Scheme under the Federal government’s Product Stewardship Act. The Scheme aims to work with all sectors of the industry to reuse/repair parts and recover as much ‘end-of-life’ plastic as possible from automobiles to create new high-value output streams. The Federal Government recently introduced the Recycling and Waste Management Bill 2020 that implements the agreement by all levels of Australia’s government to ban the export of waste plastic, glass and tyres. The ban on mixed plastics applies from 1 July 2021, whole used tyres from 1 December 2020, and single resin or polymer plastics from 1 July 2022.

The Government made targeted investments to support the objectives of the legislation, including $20 million for the National Product Stewardship Investment Fund (the Fund). Planet Ark, in the capacity of the Waste Motive initiative’s lead partner, applied for a grant from the Product Stewardship Investment Fund. MTA Queensland supported in writing Planet Ark’s application to the Fund to define and develop the Waste Motive national automobile plastics stewardship program. Its aim is to divert over 900 tonnes of automotive plastic from general waste per year and create new jobs across Australia.

We have a strong relationship with Planet Ark which is reflected in the 2019-2021 Strategic Plan. The Corporate Responsibility Statement includes the use of Planet Ark’s 100 per cent recycled printer paper and hand paper/toilet tissue. Recently, we partnered again with Planet Ark to install an additional 240 265kW solar panels on the roof of the corporate office to augment the original 120 panels bringing the total energy system size to 99.6 kW.

Collaboration with Planet Ark and support for its application builds on the investment in the Australian Tyre recycler, Green Distillation Technologies Corporation, which have developed a world-first process that turns end-of-life car and truck tyres into high value oil, carbon and steel. This process is a solution the enormous global issue of stockpiling end-of-life tyres which is a major environmental problem.

Mobility

Since 2018, MTA Queensland has been working with the Department of Transport and Main Roads to contribute to the government’s Cooperative and Automated Vehicle Initiative (CAVI.) Under a State Government Advance Regional Innovation Program (ARIP), we are also in partnership with the Ipswich City Council (ICC) examining opportunities to advance future mobility. Running current to our work is CAVI, which commenced in 2019 and is the nation’s largest connected vehicle trial in Ipswich. The trial involves 500 vehicles retrofitted with Cooperative Intelligent Transport technologies. The introduction of the CAVs to the Queensland network has begun and the transition to full autonomy will continue to be gradual and the work we have done with ICC is likely to complement or advance trials underway through increased collaboration.

The ARIP seeks to define and generate solutions to improve collaboration between government, industry and academia in the mobility technologies and emerging transport services sector. We have been collaborating with academia and professional bodies to address mobility issues and a set of problems and opportunities that impact Ipswich. It is recognised that the future of mobility will cause significant disruption in the behaviour and composition of the current workforce. We are in the process of considering a draft Future of Mobility Strategic Assessment prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers for ICC and MTA Queensland.

Federal Budget priorities

This 2020-2021 Federal Budget to be handed down on 6 October will be pivotal to the recovery of the Australian economy for the forward years. It will be closely watched for the nation’s forecast financial performance and the government’s fiscal policy but more importantly for the national reconstruction investments and policy measures to assist industries, businesses, households and workers recover and rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic. In our submission to the Federal Treasury outlining our priorities, we stated that the economic stimulus measures proved vital in sustaining businesses in the automotive trades. We stressed that going forward, although resilience was apparent, it was important that there be continued help to businesses to rebuild through the recovery phase. The submission is on the website for members to peruse.

State Election priorities

Upcoming is the State general election on 31 October which will determine the government for the next four years. Of crucial importance in this election will be the political parties’ policies to rebuild the state’s shattered economy from the COVID-19 pandemic. For this purpose, I have scheduled a meeting with the Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development Shannon Fentiman. I am in the process of seeking a meeting with the Shadow Minister Fiona Simpson. Later in the month I will be meeting with the Leader of the LNP, Deb Frecklington.

The portfolio responsibilities and policy measures that fall under the Minister and the Shadow Ministers are the MTA Queensland’s ‘bread and butter’ matters. Whilst I will be keen to hear their policy plans for the coming four years, I will stress the need to support productivity, cut compliance obligations and the cost of doing business. In addition to these meetings, we will be submitting policy priorities and initiatives to the major political parties. These submissions will stress the importance of an economic plan to address the COVID-19 recovery and to take the State’s economy forward over the next four years.

And the last thing

Congratulations to MTA Queensland’s 2019 Apprentice of the Year Kimberley Wallace who was named a finalist in this year’s Queensland Training Awards – the Harry Hauenschild Apprentice of the Year Award (Central Queensland region). Kimberley is from Emerald and employed by MTAQ member Morgan Motors in that regional town. She recently completed her parts interpreting apprenticeship in which she achieved 100 per cent in her final examination results – one of only three students to have achieved that grade.

Congratulations must also go to several MTA Queensland members who were victorious at the awards, including in the categories of Small Employer of the Year (North Queensland) – R.H.D. Classic Supplies and Services; Large Employer of the Year (South East Queensland) – Frizelle Sunshine Automotive; and MTAQ member Von Bibra Auto Village for their apprentice Alex Lees who was named the Apprentice of the Year & Equity VET Student of the Year (South East Queensland).

Not to let technology go unmentioned, but did you know there are currently 700 pieces of legislation that reference a human driver that will need to be modified to suit autonomous technology?

Until next month, as Henry Ford, the industrialist and the founder of the Ford motor company said, ‘execute ideas with enthusiasm . . . as it is the bottom of all progress’.

15 September 2020