STATEMENTS BY SENATORS

Senator STERLE (Western Australia) (13:38): The Saturday just gone, I was proud to attend the 2026 Freight Industry Awards at the Palladium at Crown Melbourne, with 500 people there. The calibre of the nominations received this year was exceptional. I want to go through and pass on my sincere congratulations to the winners.

The Women's Leadership Award, supported by Viva Energy Australia, was won by Anica Di Giacomo from Direct Couriers. For the Emerging Leader Award, supported by Daimler Truck Australia Pacific, the winner was Patrick Hernandez from Metropolitan Express Transport Services. The Investment in People Award, supported by Logical Staffing Solutions, was won by SeaRoad and Hunterlink.

The Best Practice Safety Award, supported by Gallagher Group, was won by the Calleja Group. The Application of Technology Award, supported by Transport Certification Australia, went to PAGE Tasmanian Freight. The Greenstart Award, supported by NTI, was won by Linfox, and the Waste and Recycling Business of the Year Award, supported by the RSM Group, went to Tiny Tins waste management.

There were a number of very worthy people that were put up for these awards. There can only be one winner, and I congratulate them sincerely. The industry is in fine hands, and I was privileged myself to receive the Industry Champion Award for 2026, and, after a lifetime in this wonderful industry, I was so humbled and so honoured to be received by my peers like that, I can't thank them enough.

I said to them, 'From my trucking family to their trucking families, they had no idea how nice it was to be rewarded with that, and I cherish that.' That's another glass truck sitting up there in my cabinet, which will be handed down to my grandkids very proudly. Congratulations to all the other winners, of course. All are very worthy.