The Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Ben Carroll announced the introduction of mandatory minimum passing distances to improve cyclist safety – this will make the passing distance rules clear and consistent across state lines for all road users. 

We know cyclists are some of our most vulnerable road users, and with the recent increase in cycling activity, cyclists are at risk of becoming overrepresented in our lives lost.  

People riding bicycles are some of our most vulnerable, unprotected road users, and we all have a responsibility to look out for each other and share the roads safely.

The Minimum Passing Distance rule defines safe passing distances and will make it clear to all motorists that giving cyclists space isn’t optional and will improve safety on our roads, particularly for people riding bicycles. 

The road rule change taking effect on 26 April 2021 will formalise the existing guidelines, making it mandatory for motorists to keep at least one metre distance when passing on roads with a speed limit of up to 60km/h and 1.5 metres on higher speed roads.  

We need to do everything we can to make our roads safer for everyone, including people riding bicycles, and this will reinforce the need for everyone to share the roads safely.  

Heavy Vehicles Campaign materials

We’ve attached a number of resources to help promote Minimum Passing Distances.  DoT and TAC have worked together to provide a consolidated pack to stakeholders

• Messaging 
• Digital tiles for eDM and social channels from TAC (VicRoads socials will be shared next week) 
• FAQs 
• Heavy Vehicle Fact Sheet

We all have a part to play when it comes to road safety and look forward to continuing working with you as we seek to make our roads safer for everyone.  

There is a new law for truck drivers in Victoria. The blood-alcohol limit is now zero for drivers of heavy vehicles greater than (GVM) four point five tonnes and above.Visit the VicRoads website to learn more and if you if you employ heavy vehicle drivers, make sure you access the free online alcohol and other drugs policy builder. 

Earth Resources Regulation has today taken key steps to support more active rehabilitation of Victoria’s mines and quarries by applying more accurate contingency costings to rehabilitate sites once resource extraction ends. 

Rehabilitation bonds held by the regulator provide financial assurance that site rehabilitation will occur with funds available to rehabilitate sites if an operator defaults on their statutory obligations. 

Bonds are required to cover 100 per cent of the estimated cost of site rehabilitation but the costing rates used have not been updated since 2010. The regulator has now updated its rehabilitation bond calculator to ensure contingency amounts reflect expected costs. 

An important change to the way bond amounts are calculated now recognises ongoing and completed rehabilitation works, this encourages site operators to complete rehabilitation work early rather than waiting until their projects are completed. 

This work is a key deliverable of the Regulatory Practice Strategy for the Rehabilitation of Earth Resources Sites, released in February 2020, to help improve the state’s rehabilitation provisions and address some of the issues highlighted by Auditor General’s August 2020 report.  

Earth Resources Regulation will work closely with site operators to progressively review estimated rehabilitation costs and bonds using the updated calculator. The highest risk sites will be prioritised including those nearing the end of their resource life or undergoing expansion. 

The regulator will adopt an education outreach approach for the majority of other mine and quarry sites to help operators reduce their rehabilitation liabilities and plan for future site rehabilitation. 

To assist with this transition, information sessions will be held for all mine and quarry operators. Details of these sessions are available at earthresources.vic.gov.au – where the bond calculator and key details are also be available. Click Here

Most quarry and mining operators take their responsibilities seriously. Bonds are in place as a last resort so funds are available funds to complete the required rehabilitation work, if operators default.  

Earth Resources Regulation accepts most rehabilitation bonds in the form of a bank guarantee. Bond values will increase and decrease over time, while the actual cost payable to service the bank guarantees will be substantially less, minimising the impact on site operators.  

Quotes attributable to Earth Resources Regulation Executive Director Anthony Hurst: 

“We are taking action to ensure more accurate rehabilitation bonds are in place to ensure quarries and mines get rehabilitated properly to underpin community confidence in the resources sector.” 

“Earth Resources Regulation is committed to working with mine and quarry operators, landholders and co-regulators to improve the progressive rehabilitation of sites.” 

“The regulator will step in to rehabilitate sites using the bonds if operators default on their obligations.”  

The new Act will commence on 1 July 2021

The Governor in Council has proclaimed that the new Environment Protection Act will commence on 1 July 2021.

The formal process for making the subordinate legislation – the Environment Protection Regulations and Environment Reference Standard – will now proceed. 

Environment Protection Authority (EPA) will let you know when they are made as legislation and published. Until then we encourage you to continue to use the proposed final versions released by Government in December 2020 to prepare for the new laws. 

The new environment protection laws will come into effect on 1 July 2021. Until then you are required to continue operating under the Environment Protection Act 1970.

EPA will continue to work with you on preparing for the new laws.

The proposed final Regulations, ERS, supporting documents and guidance are available Click Here

The CMPA is holding this workshop to assist CMPA members in ensuring that procedures are in place and that responsibilities are defined and understood to ensure rapid and well-structured management of a critical incident and to control the potential impact, spread and re generation of noxious weeds and pest animals. 

CMPA will be releasing:

CMPA Critical Incident Response Plan Template

CMPA Noxious Weeds & Pest Animals Control Plan Guideline and Template

Date – Thursday 25th March 2021

Time – 8.00am – 4.00pm

Location – Mt Duneed Estate, 65 Pettavel Road, Waurn Ponds

Click here for flyer

Workshop sponsored by:

The Chief Health Officer has issued a heat health alert based on the Bureau of Meteorology 7-day forecast. 

The forecast conditions may cause an increase in heat related illnesses and exacerbate pre-existing medical conditions in the community.

Extreme heat can affect anyone. Pregnant women, people with a pre-existing medical condition, people aged over 65 and children and babies are most at risk.

Organisations should monitor local weather conditions using the Bureau of Meteorology’s Heatwave Service for Australia and respond in accordance with their heat plans. Individuals should also prepare for the heat.

Heat kills more Australians than any natural disaster.

Click Here

The following article was published in Issue 112 of Sand and Stone.

GAVIN MOREIRA, CMPA Member Services Manager reports on the development of the latest CMPA publication – Slimes Management Guideline.

Click here to read the full article.

The following article was published in Issue 112 of Sand and Stone.

With a fractured COVID-19 affected economy across our nation what is the current lending environment like and how do the weeks and months ahead look?

Click here to read the full article.

The following article was published in Issue 112 of Sand and Stone.

CJD Equipment (Associate Member since 2004) reports on the fleet of Volvo machines at Matthew’s Quarries (founding Member of the CMPA)

Click here to read the full article.

The following article was published in Issue 112 of Sand and Stone.

Founding CMPA members; E. B. Mawson & Sons Pty Ltd have switched 100 percent of their mains electricity supply over to renewables. Mawsons have made the switch to a combination of solar, wind and hydro power as part of their broader sustainability strategy. The strategy is designed to significantly reduce the environmental impact of the 50 plus sites Mawsons currently operate across Regional Victoria and Southern NSW.

Click here to read the full article.