The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) has today congratulated Ian Cootes on his appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2016 Australia Day Honours list.
Ian Cootes founded Cootes Haulage in 1965 as a single tanker operation, which grew to employ around 800 people by the time he sold the business in 2001. He served as a member of a number of industry bodies during this time, and worked to improve safety and efficiency standards for dangerous goods transport as the Director of the Australian Road Research Board.
The Chair of the ATA, Noelene Watson, said the honour recognised Mr Cootes’ enormous contribution to the trucking industry and its safety standards.
“Ian was considered a leader of the trucking industry – as far as he was concerned, everything had to be exactly spot on or it just wasn’t worth doing,” Mrs Watson said.
“This was reflected in his extensive service as a Board member of the National Bulk Tanker Association, and when he served as a Board member and then President of the Australian Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association.
“He was always a highly respected industry operator, and a really positive influence on the industry. He set the benchmark for other operators to look up to, and was an important early contributor to the ATA.
“In addition to his work for the trucking industry, Ian’s award recognises his philanthropic contributions.
“Ian has been a long-standing supporter of the Alfred Hospital through The Alfred Foundation, where he served as Chair from 2003 – 2008 and continues to serve as its Deputy Chairman today.
“His work has been recognised through his induction to the National Road Transport Hall of Fame in 2003 and his addition to the National Trauma Research Institute Honour Board in 2004. It’s very appropriate that his work has now been recognised nationally.
“On behalf of the ATA and the whole trucking industry, I want to offer Ian my congratulations on this most significant honour,” Mrs Watson said.
The ATA also congratulates Mr Thomas Fawcett, who received a Medal of the Order of Australia for his service to the livestock transport industry.
Mr Fawcett has been the Managing Director of the Fawcett Cattle Company in the Northern Territory since 1963, and has been an active member of the Northern Territory Road Transport Association for many years. He has also served as a member of the Coomalie Community Government Council.
