Changes keep traffic controllers on the job

The Palaszczuk Government has introduced new measures to keep 4,000 traffic management staff on the job, keeping construction crews and drivers across Queensland safe.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said important changes had been made to ensure temporary traffic management workers could keep the qualifications needed to keep Queensland projects ticking over.

“We’ve got more than $23 billion in roads and transport project slated for Queensland. Now more than ever, it’s important that we continue to rollout these projects and support the 21,500 that they will generate,” Mr Bailey said.

“We’re supporting the industry by automatically extending Traffic Management Implementer accreditations and temporarily suspending the need for Traffic Controllers to complete renewal training, keeping Queenslanders in jobs and our projects moving.

Mr Bailey said other changes included:
• working with training organisations to transition to virtual training for accreditation renewals

• requiring risk assessments to be completed before conducting classroom-based training for new workers to the industry

• extending the practical experience deadline for trainee traffic controllers

• waiving the requirement for renewal training for existing Traffic Controllers whose authority cards expire between 1 March and 30 June 2020

• automatically extending all existing Traffic Management Implementation accreditations which expire between 1 March and 30 June 2020 for 90 days from the expiry date
“COVID-19 has impacted the ability of temporary traffic management workers to maintain their qualifications, so we have acted to ensure they can keep working safely during this time.
“This is in addition to making sure appropriate COVID-19-related health and safety is a priority on the worksite.
Licence agreements for registered training providers will be extended at no cost for an additional 12 months, to help offset costs incurred during this time.

“I’m also looking forward seeing the innovation from training organisations as they move their essential programs to online platforms.
These changes are being coordinated through registered training organisations and impacted workers should contact their local training provider for more details.
“We’ll continue to support and work with industry as we face the economic and health challenges of the coronavirus.”

For more information, visit https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/business-industry/Business-with-us/Traffic-Management/Traffic-management-training or email techtraining@tmr.qld.gov.au