Rachel Smith

In her own words

In my role as national Executive Director of ALRTA I advocate on issues of national significance to regional and rural transporters. Day to day the work is incredibly varied and ranges from policy and government relations, to governance, strategy and operations.

Workforce development and diversity are a key focus.  As an industry it is important that we advocate to difference audiences how vibrant our industry is. Like most transport sectors, our drivers are an aging population, so we need to attract more workers to the industry and create meaningful career paths, whether that is capturing students in high school or those considering a career change later in life.  Part of ALRTA’s role is to demonstrate that livestock and rural transport provides an attractive career path.

In terms of advocacy, Heavy Vehicle National Law Reform and regional and rural road funding are extremely important. Effluent management practices for transported livestock is another focus from a biosecurity lens, particularly having recently faced the threat of lumpy skin disease in northern Australia and foot and mouth outbreaks.  We are looking at how we put structural pieces in place so that if we are faced with a biosecurity crisis we can contain and limit the spread of a disease, so it doesn’t decimate an industry. ALRTA has long been advocating for a Rural Transport Managed Deposit Scheme that can support industry during times of natural disasters (such as drought) and biosecurity incidents.

And the other big issue is around the safety and security of our drivers, which incorporates fatigue management and ensuring there are fit for purpose rest stops where people can have a meal, a shower and rest. It’s a significant issue faced by all transport operators across the country.

The diversity of work in an industry association appeal to me, delivering for members in a resource constrained environment. It requires you to think creatively and leverage your networks. And it sometimes it feels like you are delivering what some would be perceive as the undeliverable, but somehow the pieces come together.  I love to learn new things and the members bring such a wide suite of skills and experience to the table.

A career highlight was project managing negotiations with the Commonwealth Government for the Seventh Community Pharmacy Agreement which was an incredibly challenging role in a pressure cooker environment. My colleagues at the Pharmacy Guild called me the master herder of cats because there were a lot of dynamic members involved. The agreement had to be delivered and both the pharmacies and the Health Department were experiencing immense pressures and demands because of Covid. It was a unique time in history, with a lot of stakeholders but we were able to achieve a record funding agreement for 5,800 small businesses around the country.

Another core career highlight was working on the National Freight Movement Protocol during COVID and ensuring freight could keep moving.  Whilst at the Australian Logistics Council (ALC) partnering with a strategic research agency we were able to successfully advocate to the NSW Government for the removal of heavy vehicle curfews.  A significant productivity win for the transport industry.

In achieving these outcomes, it was a lesson in channelling members’ passion into something that was tangible and achievable and moving people from duelling at 10 paces to having a meaningful, constructive conversation together. When advocating on behalf of members it is imperative to identify 80% of commonality in issues and then decide how to reach a consolidated view on the remaining 20%. My work experience has really cemented my stakeholder management skills and the ability to keep a cool head.

Challenging perceptions

What I love about rural transport is the people, and the diversity and complexity of the industry. I like to think of transport as a big spiderweb, with many moving parts within. When you get that parcel at your front door the actual mechanics and logistics of how that item has arrived to you is incredibly complex and while it appears from the outside as a well-oiled machine, there is so much happening behind the scenes to make that delivery happen. Regardless of the mode of freight, it is an incredibly complex beast and with Australia being the most urbanised country in the world we have some unique challenges.

Workforce development and women’s representation in the industry is one of these challenges. We need to demonstrate that you don’t have to grow up in a transport family to be in the industry. We need to tell the stories of the women and others from a non-traditional transport background, who have come into the transport industry. We need to engage earlier with kids at school to highlight that transport is a diverse and highly skilled industry. It is about challenging perceptions that transport is all about male drivers in blue singlets and stubbie shorts and telling our stories in impactful ways that drive change.

Taking in the whole picture

In giving advice to people, there are some consistent themes. Firstly, throw your hat into the ring and take opportunities when they are right for you. I always say there is never a good time to have a holiday and never a good time to resign. Even when you are enjoying a role, when an opportunity comes up, check if it is right for you, your lifestyle, and your family and if it is, go for it. Ultimately you are the only one who is going to look after your own success.

In climbing the corporate ladder and achieving significant executive roles in my thirties, there’s a lot of factors.

Having fantastic mentors and sponsors, it my number one piece of advice. Find a mentor (or a several), sponsor and enabler.  Make sure you mentor others and support and enable others to develop, grow and rise in seniority.  By lighting someone else’s flame, you are not diminishing your own.  I feel very privileged to have had great mentors and supporters over my career which has enabled me to grow, develop and achieve some lofty goals.  I’m forever grateful to these people.

In being impactful in a board or senior stakeholder setting, sit back and observe what is going on.  Think of one (or a couple of) powerful, impactful statement or question rather than trying to demonstrate throughout the discussion what you know. You need to take in the whole picture, assess what you should be done next, consolidate, and respond. If you are eagerly speaking throughout a meeting – and sometimes it can be due to nerves - it can make you appear junior in the team. Being attentive and considerate in your response in these situations is incredibly powerful.