the February Newsletter of Bus 4x4 & I-Bus - I-Bus Australia Pty Ltd

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Awards for its automotive manufacturing excellence. ... standardised licence classes across the country (C, LR, MR, MC e
Welcome to the February Newsletter of Bus 4x4 & I-Bus Bus 4x4 Group of Companies has been busy with exciting plans for 2017. We are working on vehicle prototypes to introduce new options in 4WD people movers for tour operators and mining companies. I-Bus Australia is expanding and coming soon to a spot near you! I-Bus currently has 2 locations with plans to expand across Australia in 2017. Watch this space! Bus 4x4 has been selected as the Finalist in the Australian Small Business Champion 2017 Awards for its automotive manufacturing excellence. Based on positive feedback, we will continue "Tour Speak" by Matt, as a regular monthly tourism feature. Check below on Matt's thoughts about Australian tour operators' seasonality. If you have any suggestions, email him directly here Starting this month, we introduce a "Did you know" feature, highlighting some of the less known places/locations in our country. In this issue, we introduce the Henry Parkes Museum which celebrates its 50th Anniversary with a Smoke, Rust & Noise Day on 2nd April 2017. Browse articles below - Take a Trolley Ride, Sand Driving and Places to Travel in March. Warm Regards Phill Hargreaves | Director P.S: If you have not yet downloaded your free copy of LIVE THE OUTBACK DREAM, you can do it here

The above prices do not include fitouts. Fitouts are done by external reputed fitout specialists and 4x4 Motorhomes does not recommend or suggest any fitout features described on our website/s.

I-Bus is expanding across Australia! I-Bus buses are now displayed at 230 Eastern Service Road, Bruce Highway, Burpengary. If you are in the area, please drop in and say hello to Craig Marshall. Call us on 1300 287 494 (Archerfield) or 07 3385 4300 (Burpengary) for more details.

Beat Tourism Seasonality and Hire Vehicles Most off road tour operators have to deal with seasonality which often means long periods of down time. Extreme climate, bad road conditions or frustrating national parks rules - take your pick! Your business could be facing up to six months a year of virtually no income and then be flooded for the other six months. When you are on, you are really on and turning back customers for lack of seats. When you are off, you have vehicles sitting idle that you are still paying for. Wouldn’t it be great if you could hire what you needed for a few months and then give it back at the end of the season? The good news is that in some states like Queensland it is possible to use a commercially hired vehicle for tour operations under the following conditions:

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You The The The

fully disclose your intended vehicle use to the company you are leasing from vehicle is of the appropriate type and age vehicle has a current Certificate of Inspection (COI) vehicle has insurance of an appropriate level for the tourism industry

In other places like the Northern Territory, you can only use a commercially hired vehicle as a temporary replacement for your actual tour vehicle where it has broken down. We are trying to find out from each remaining state’s transport departments about the legality of tour operators hiring a vehicle from interstate for three to six months. So far this has been a frustrating exercise in terms of getting a meaningful response. While state governments are bending over backwards for the likes of Uber and AirBnB, they have no appetite to review their inconsistent and often illogical laws governing tour operators. We now have standardised licence classes across the country (C, LR, MR, MC etc) so why can’t there be consistent rules and standards around commercial passenger vehicles across the states? It is quite common for tour operators to conduct business in multiple states with the same vehicle without having to change registration. Mining companies hire their vehicles from around the country and don’t change registration. Big hire car companies move their fleets around the country without changing registrations as well. So why are tour operators so restricted? If you are a tour operator based in any state or territory outside of Queensland, you might want to ask the question about hiring vehicles to meet seasonal demand. If not, why not? If it is good enough for Queensland, a major tourism state to do away with such red tape why not elsewhere? Ministers responsible by state or territory WA NSW SA VIC TAS NT

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Bill Marmion MP Andrew Constance MP Stephen Mulligan MP Luke Donnellan MP Matthew Groom MP Nicole Manison MLA

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] http://www.matthewgroom.com.au/raise-and-issue [email protected]

Sure, this is a self serving exercise for us. But it also exposes an absurd bureaucratic situation affecting a major Australian industry. So if you are lucky to be a Queensland operator or you have come to an agreement with your own state government, give Matt a call on 0400 285 764 or visit our Tour Operator site here

Henry Parkes Museum to celebrate 50th Anniversary The Henry Parkes Museum located on the Newell Highway in Parkes NSW which is known for its largest collection of antique farm machinery is celebrating its 50th Anniversary with a Smoke Rust and Noise Day on 2 April 2017.

Cost for entry is $5/person with family discount, BBQ as well as opening the World War 1 display and the 1896 Church to public. For more details on the museum, click here.

AUSTRALIAN SMALL BUSINESS FINALIST Bus 4x4 has been chosen as a Finalist in the 2017 Australian Small Business Awards for Automotive Manufacturing Excellence. Check the awards website here

BRING BACK TROLLEY BUSES? Gordon Lowe reflects on the age of the trolley bus and the benefits which might suit the modern, carbon-conscious society in Australasian Bus & Coach. Read more here

SAND DRIVING

MARCH 4x4 TRAVEL

Summertime and sand don't go well if your vehicle gets bogged down. Morgan Lane from Unsealed 4x4 with his Beach Driving Survival Guide has some tips on how not to get snagged in sand.

Read more on what you can do in March courtesy of 4x4 Australia with Ron and Viv Moon’s latest news and info from Australia’s treks and tracks.

Read more here

From saving Ningaloo Station to re-opening of the Simpson Desert here

3-5 Mar - THE BALLARAT GREAT OUTDOOR & 4x4 EXPO Ballarat Showgrounds, Ballarat VIC 3-5 Mar - GOLD COAST CARAVAN & CAMPING EXPO Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast QLD 22-26 Mar - THE PERTH CARAVAN & CAMPING SHOW Claremont Showground, WA 31 Mar-2 Apr - 4x4 OUTDOOR SHOW Brisbane Showgrounds QLD

Do you know any of your friends or family who are thinking of buying a school bus, coach or mine spec bus? Refer them to us and for each successful sale, we will pay you $1,000 CASH.

Bus 4x4 Pty Ltd | I-Bus Australia | 4x4 Motorhomes Australia | Bus 4x4 Hire Pty Ltd located at 138 Kerry Road Archerfield, Queensland 4108 Australia +61 7 3276 1420