The National Livestock Transport & Safety Group (NLTSG) bid farewell to its longtime secretary Tom Cloke, who retired from the position just prior to Christmas….after nearly 15 years of service.
Group chair Don Wilson says that "Tom has been heavily involved in all of the NLTSG's initiatives – from the development of animal welfare and bobby calf regulations, to the institution of the NZ Livestock Transport Assurance programme, the creation of the Stock Crate Code and the Fit for Transport App.
"Each one of these projects has Tom's signature all over it."
The NLTSG looks after the interests of approximately 95% of the commercial livestock transport industry, comprising around 280 companies operating 2600 livestock transport vehicles. Tom has been the Group's secretary since its establishment back in 2005.
Just as Tom prepared to step away from the NLTSG, the Group had one of its biggest wins yet, with the Government backing down over plans to impose liability on livestock transporters for moving untagged animals within the new NAIT (National Animal Identification and Tracing) legislation.
The original Bill proposed rules that would have made it an offence for transporters to carry untagged animals and included high-cost penalties for operators who knowingly or unknowingly did so. However, the Government finally accepted the argument made by the NLTSG and RTF that transport operators should not be subject to the same strict liability threshold as persons in day-to-day charge of a NAIT animal (PICAs).
Says Wilson: "It was a very satisfying result and one that summed up Tom's hard work and advocacy for the livestock transport sector.
"To have someone that can relate so well to industry issues and act accordingly is a valuable asset to have. Tom always excelled himself as secretary to the NLTSG and I know that he will continue to provide a good source of advice to me and other NLTSG representatives in the future.
"Livestock transporters, the broader industry and associated stakeholders owe Tom a great deal for the time and effort he has put in to making sure that the sector's voice has been heard in Wellington.
"So often, transporters are a bit of an afterthought for policy-makers," says Wilson: "Since the formation of the NLTSG, Tom has made sure that the concerns of transporters are front and centre of any discussions when it comes to the movement or welfare of animals."
Tom's retirement from the NLTSG does not mean he is lost to the industry: He remains a key part of the executive team at National Road Carriers. He was also recently re-elected as a Taranaki Regional Councillor.
Julie Geange, from Federated Farmers, has been appointed as the NLTSG's new secretary.