1MG FlippingBooks
Quad bike manufacturers to withdraw from Australian market if proposed standard becomes law
Vivien Lin
Honda and Yamaha have announced they will remove their quad bikes from the Australian market if Parliament adopts the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) recommendations to improve safety.
Quad bikes are currently the largest cause of death and injury on Australian farms. Since 2011, 130 people have been killed in quad bike accidents, with around 15 per cent of deaths involving children.
As part of its investigation into quad bike safety , the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has recommended the establishment of a mandatory safety standard. The draft safety standard , which would apply to all quad bikes supplied in Australia, proposes four elements including meeting overseas standards, additional consumer information, stability benchmarks and fitting an operator (rollover) protection device (OPD).
However, Honda Australia believes the standard is “flawed, unworkable and may put farmers’ lives at greater risk” and will stop selling ATVs in Australia if it becomes law.
“No reputable company can meet the proposal because it lacks engineering and design rigour,” says Honda Australia Motorcycle & Power Equipment’s Managing Director Mr Robert Toscano. “Any company that tries to meet the standard will be open to the accusation that it is playing with farmers’ lives.”
Similarly, Yamaha engineers will not make the proposed design changes and cease selling utility ATVs in Australia should the standard be implemented.
“The science behind the draft is both faulty and selective,” says Yamaha Motor Australia Director Brad Ryan.
Nevertheless, National Farmers’ Federation Workforce Committee Chair Charlie Armstrong has welcomed the announcements by Honda and Yamaha.
“Assuming both Honda and Yamaha follow-through on their withdrawal, Australian farmers will be safer without the danger that their products currently pose,” says Mr. Armstrong.
Mr Armstrong says that Honda and Yamaha relied on misinformation in deciding to withdraw their quad bikes, including commissioned American computer modelling. The NFF also considers that these manufacturers have dismissed the consensus of various professional bodies including independent studies by Australian academics, the opinions of peak health professionals and industry bodies and the recommendations of the ACCC, which are based on over 18 months of consultation and analysis.
While Honda and Yamaha’s withdrawal would leave a hole in the Australian quad bike market, this is not necessarily a bad thing, according to Mr Armstrong.
“The void will be filled by other vehicles and manufacturers who embrace safety and are as horrified as the NFF at the frequent reports of death, and serious injury relating to quad bike use,” says Armstrong. “If this move saves just one life then it will be worth it.”
Submissions on the exposure draft mandatory safety standard recommended by the ACCC will close on 10 June. You can submit your comments or simply find out more here.
For more information on quad bike and general farm safety, check out the ACCC’s Quad Bike Safety Issues Paper here.
NEWS
Prodoz, a Proudly Australian and family-owned agribusiness, based in Melbourne, is strengthening its positions as national/international leader in advanced crop – science solutions through a growing portfolio of global innovation partners and a distribution footprint supported by all major distributors - includes Nutrien Ag, Elders, Lindsay Rural and Independent Rural stores.
Australia’s climate is tougher than ever. Heat spikes, dry periods, salinity, waterlogging and sudden frost events are becoming an everyday part of farmers lives.
Trace minerals are required for optimal growth, reproduction, and immunity. Optimising trace mineral status relying solely on oral supplements across a herd may fail because of variation in individual intake and reduced absorption due to antagonism of other ration components and minerals. The use of injectable trace mineral supplements has been associated with positive reproductive outcomes including improved conception rate, increased odds of pregnancy and greater final in calf rate. A study conducted on 2,168 dairy cows, administered injectable trace minerals, four weeks prior to calving and again four weeks prior to the start of mating showed treated animals had a 3.3 per cent greater final in-calf rate, and a reduced time from start of mating to conception, compared to control animals 1 . The Importance of B12 Dr Carl Eden, Technical Services Veterinarian with Boehringer Ingelheim says “Vitamin B12 is sometimes referred to as a ‘super vitamin’ because it is only required in very small amounts but vital to many essential metabolic pathways. However, demand for B12 can vary considerably during the year and we see serum levels of B12 fall at critical times, such as the first few months after calving.” Vitamin B12 contains cobalt, so deficiency in cobalt can lead to deficiency in vitamin B12 because ruminants get most of their B12 as a byproduct of ruminal fermentation where the bacteria in their rumen assemble B12 from cobalt for use by the cow. Sub-optimal trace mineral and vitamin B12 status at calving, mating, and drying off has been shown to negatively impact growth, reproduction, and immunity. Using a trace mineral injectable containing vitamin B12 can improve trace mineral and vitamin B12 status at these critical times. Marks-Min with Vitamin B12 – The Evidence In the largest trace element study to date, Marks-Min Injectable Trace Mineral with Vitamin B12 demonstrated remarkable results when compared to a reference trace mineral injection. “Given the differences between Marks-Min and other products on the market, we wanted to generate a compelling data set to demonstrate how effective it was compared to the pioneer product. We entrusted this work to a third-party research company” says Dr Eden. “We chose farms that were at the top of their game from a reproductive perspective. We made sure that the farms had no evidence of trace element or vitamin B12 deficiencies or excess.” Across all outcomes of interest, Marks-Min demonstrated clear non-inferiority when compared to the reference product. Outcomes measured included submission, pregnancy and conception rates, and six week in-calf rate. Marks-Min demonstrated it is highly suited as an alternative treatment to the reference product. Reference: 1. Hawkins, D., and B. V. S. Franklin. New Zealand Dairy Veterinarians Newsletter 24 (2007): 12-16 Company website: livestockfirst.com.au Company email address: CustomerCare.Australia@boehringer-ingelheim.com Company video: https://vimeo.com/1138807630?fl=pl&fe=cm
Find out why the first summer drench can be so important in protecting your flock’s health, plus what to look for in your summer drench of choice.
A NSW-based innovator has developed a patent-pending, front-mounted firefighting and utility system for tractors, giving farmers instant, in-cab-controlled fire suppression, water and fuel on hand, and safer solo operations.
Barko Security is bringing drone technology to agriculture while building on a decade of security and a lifetime of agricultural know-how.
