Regional conferences
During March, BAV’s 2025 Regional Conferences were held in Bendigo, Shepparton, Wodonga, Swan Hill, Ouyen, Leongatha and Bairnsdale. Hamilton and Ballarat Regional Conferences are scheduled to occur on April 24, 2025.
At the conferences, BAV President Stuart Locke from Seymour Coaches opened the meetings and introduced the suppliers present to BAV members.
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Stuart Dawson from BAV provided updates on the DTP school bus forms pack, emergency management plans, road safety condition reporting, school bus centre reviews, BAV’s safe bus travel program, accessing the CPV portal and long service leave.
Oscar Goodwin from BAV updated all in attendance on industry development issues, including women in transport, anti-social behaviour on the network, new seat belt rules, NTC and NHVR reform, skills pathways and bike racks for buses.
Peter Kavanagh gave members an insightful update on deliberate underpayments, bus rollaways and fires, the remit of the Commission for Children and Young People and its regulatory role in the special school bus operating environment, bus driver accreditation and conditions, changing your business entity from a partnership to a company, cyber security, Privacy Act changes and changes to the Award and Enterprise Agreements. Chris Lowe provided members with an update on the government’s plans to transition the contracted fleet to zero emission buses, a summary of the outcomes of DTP’s 23/24 MZF tender and DE’s special school bus contract term.
Inaugural supplier’s forum
On Friday March 7, BAV held its inaugural Supplier’s Forum. As part of its strategic plan penned in 2024, BAV resolved to do more for its Supplier Partners and Associate Members and holding a Supplier’s Forum was one of the key initiatives of that plan. The prime objective in holding a Forum was to give the supply side of the industry a deeper level of understanding of how the industry works.
Around 30 BAV Associate Members and Supplier Partners were provided insights into the Victorian bus industry’s composition, the regulatory environment, the legislative environment, the metropolitan and country operating and contracting environment, special school buses, how the service contracts and ceiling price mechanisms work, current government policies, industry trends and the plans the government has for transitioning the contracted fleet to zero emission technology. Everyone was provided with a quick lunch at the end. Feedback from the Supplier’s Forum was extremely positive to the extent that BAV will repeat the event on March 24 for those who could not attend on March 7.
Thank you to all those that attended and for your continued support of BAV. We are very happy that so many found this event beneficial.
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