GTSN 
Our Charter

The primary objective of the GTSN is to raise awareness, collaborate and improve safety for grain moved by trucks.

In the context of the network, ‘Safety’ includes, and is not limited to, the following areas:

• Inform the grain industry about Chain of Responsibility under the Heavy Vehicle National Law to promote risk mitigation by participants
• Improve overall safety by sharing information and corrective actions arising from hazards, incidents, accidents and injuries related to the loading, transport and unloading of grain via road
• Create an environment that facilitates communication across the grain supply chain to achieve safer transport outcomes
• Establish minimum standards for CoR safety and compliance systems and processes.

The members of the Grain Transport Safety Network will work together for the common interest of the grain industry in promoting a safe working culture. Members will be open with each other, base their opinions on facts, encourage expression of diverse views, and reconcile differences in a rational way that is transparent to the industry.

The purpose of the GTSN is to:

1. Set goals and objectives for the group
2. Establish a set of key principles for Chain of Responsibility safety and compliance
3. Provide mechanisms to share hazards and incidents related to the transportation of grain
4. Review hazards and incidents to recommend actions to minimise the risk of reoccurrence
5. Provide a network for parties to collaborate to improve safety and compliance to encourage nationalconsistency
6. Initiate focused projects to manage specific, industry related hazards and risks
7. Collaborate with regulators and industry bodies, including the NHVR and state road authorities
8. Set a framework for auditing programmes
9. Evaluate the requirement of a Registered Grain Code of Practice to set auditable minimum standards

The GTSN is open to all parties in the supply chain who are involved in moving grain from paddock to silo and from silo to end user/export terminal, including:

• Loaders and unloaders of grain trucks
• Freight providers
• Customers
• Growers
• Logistics planning
• Logistics Procurement

The GTSN has established two levels of membership–Full and Associate membership. The definitions of both types of membership are detailed on the GTSN website. The current members are listed on the website.

The GTSN will proactively recruit new members.

All full members of GTSN will nominate an Executive (or delegate) to participate on the Steering Committee of the GTSN. The Steering Committee will meet annually. The purpose of the Steering Committee is to:

• Collaborate with the Working Group to set the goals and objectives for the next 12 month period (per GTSN Plan on a Page)
• Review the resources required to make sure they are appropriate to achieve the goals and objectives e.g., financial matters, member attendance and participation
• Support the Working Group to overcome any barriers or hurdles encountered in achieving its goals and objectives.

The GTSN Working Group consists of one representative from each full member organisation plus an external facilitator. The Working Group is comprised of nominated “CoR leads” from member organisations, typically being personnel from supply chain operations, technical, safety and compliance functions or backgrounds.

The purpose of the Working Group is to fulfil the objectives of the GTSN–see sections 2 and 4 above. The Working Group members provide the “arms and legs” to achieve the GTSN goals and objectives and each member will use their best endeavours to contribute equally to the group. Working Group members provide a conduit from the GTSN back into their respective member organisations to facilitate two-way consultation.

The GTSN may nominate and agree on subcommittees from time to time as required to focus on specific areas within the group. Each subcommittee will be led by a subcommittee lead who will report to back to the Working Group.

• The GTSN will meet three times per year, usually pre and post the winter grain harvest and midyear at locations agreed to by the full members
• Wherever possible, the group will meet at operational locations and conduct a site tour
• An agenda will be circulated via email by the Facilitator four weeks prior to the meeting
• A monthly conference call will be coordinated by the Facilitator to review action status
• Minutes and action items will be circulated two weeks after the meeting by the Facilitator
• Meeting hosting duties and administrative tasks will be rotated between members.

When group members meet, the group recognised and acknowledges that it has legal obligations with respect to theTrade Practices Act (1974) whereby any discussion of matters that create, or could potentially create, restrictive trade are prohibited.

When the GTSN meets, if there is concern that there is a potential breach of the Trade Practices Act, the following escalation process applies:

• If a member has concerns about a breach to the Trade Practices Act, they should flag this verbally with the other party/parties
• If a resolution is not found following the verbal concern, the meeting should cease immediately and it should be flagged to the Steering Committee members for determination
• Issues about potential breaches are discussed at the annual Steering Committee