busnews.com.au May 2018 ABC^39Welcome Function on the Thursday
evening with Lauren Downs,
general manager of Volvo Bus
Australia, introducing a new-look
team to delegates.
The conference commenced
with BusNSW president John King
welcoming delegates.
King spoke about a rapidly
changing world and the way bus
and coach services are planned
and delivered being transformed as
never before.
He encouraged delegates to
take up the challenge and get
involved in new transport initiatives,
which will help industry and
government understand what
works and what doesn’t.
The conference theme –
Navigating the Future – reflected
the need for operators, suppliers
and government to steer the public
transport framework and to adapt
to a changing environment.
BusNSW executive director
Matt Threlkeld provided an industry
report later in the day emphasising
that, after 75 years of representing
private bus and coach operators,
BusNSW and its members were
well placed to assist with the
navigation by contributing to
public transport policy and trialling
new technology to deliver
transport services.
The first conference speaker
was mountaineer Michael Groom.
In 1987, Groom became the first
Australian to climb the world’s third-
highest mountain, Kangchenjunga,
without the use of bottled oxygen
or Sherpa support.
Groom recounted an inspiring
story of how he survived many
unfortunate accidents that nearly
killed or crippled him, and in
1993 he was able to achieve his
childhood ambition of climbing
Mt Everest. He went on to climb
the five highest mountains in the
world, becoming the fourth person
to do so, and on Australia Day
2000 Michael received the Order of
Australia Medal for his achievement
in mountaineering.
The next speaker was The Hon.
Andrew Constance MP, Minister
for Transport and Infrastructure.
Minister Constance thankedLeft:
The faces of
our industry
in attendance;
Scania sales
manager Julian
Gurney delivers
The Pathway to
Autonomous
Vehicles.
Below:
A Premier
Transport
Group’s
on-demand
operator
case study
rep; BusNSW
executive
director Matt
Threlkeld
welcomes all.
Opposite
below:
Aaron Lewis
collects the
Achiever Award
on behalf of
winner Michael
Kerr from Rover
Coaches.He encouraged delegates
to take up the challenge
and get involved in new
transport initiatives.