Simon National Carriers hands leadership to Almassi and Bury. News · October 18, 2026 Simon National Carriers has moved to a joint chief executive structure, with Ardy Almassi and Mark Bury taking over from long-serving CEO David Simon. The leadership handover took place in mid-July 2026, with Simon publicly confirming the change in October. He will remain chairman of the Carole Park-headquartered national transport and logistics business. In announcing the transition, Simon said the two executives bring different strengths and will each oversee key areas of responsibility, supported by the carrier's established senior management team. Almassi joined Simon National Carriers as National Sales Manager in 2016 after roles with Toll Group, Direct Freight Express and UPS Supply Chain Solutions. Bury's history with the carrier stretches back to 2001, when he joined as Victoria and Tasmania State Manager. He became National Operations Manager in 2010, later served as Chief Operating Officer at State Transport and Warehousing, and returned to Simon National Carriers in 2019 as National Warehouse Manager. For Simon, the change marks a step back from day-to-day management after more than four decades in the business and an extensive contribution to road transport industry advocacy. He chaired the Australian Trucking Association from 2010 to 2014 and has also been active with the Queensland Trucking Association. Almassi has welcomed the opportunity to lead alongside Bury, crediting Simon's mentorship and the company's senior team. He said he was looking forward to continuing to develop the carrier's customer experience.

RFDS to lead next chapter of aeromedical care in the Top End. Date published. 02 Oct 2026 The Royal Flying Doctor Service SA/NT (RFDS) has welcomed today's announcement that it will operate the Top End Medical Retrieval Service (TEMRS), following a competitive procurement process led by the Northern Territory Government. The 10-year contract will see the RFDS deliver a fully integrated aeromedical retrieval and road patient transfer service from Darwin, Katherine and Gove, caring for more than 4,500 patients every year across the Territory's Top End, Big Rivers and East Arnhem regions. The contract builds on the RFDS's 87-year history of serving Territorians, including aeromedical bases in Alice Springs and Darwin, a patient transfer facility in Tennant Creek, oral and mental health services in remote communities, and tourist facilities that contribute to the Territory's tourism economy. Under the contract, the RFDS will partner with specialist rotary-wing operator Toll Aviation - a division of Toll Group. The partnership combines the RFDS's nationally recognised expertise in aeromedical and clinical care with Toll's envied reputation in the specialist field of helicopter medical retrieval and search and rescue operations. Photo: The RFDS's fully integrated aeromedical retrieval and road patient transfer service will provide care to more than 4,500 patients every year across the Territory's Top End, Big Rivers and East Arnhem regions. NT Minister for Health Steve Edgington said aeromedical retrieval services were essential to providing urgent and specialist care in the Northern Territory and they looked forward to working with RFDS SA/NT to transition to the new arrangements. "RFDS has a long history of delivering health care in remote and regional Australia, and we look forward to working with the organisation to provide this critical service across the Top End, Big Rivers and East Arnhem regions," he said. "This 10-year contract will provide long-term certainty for the service and deliver modern aircraft capable of supporting safe, timely and effective patient care." RFDS Chief Executive Tony Vaughan ASM said the contract recognised the organisation's proven capability and dedication to delivering essential aeromedical services across Central Australia and the Barkly, and more recently in the Top End and beyond. "We're proud and honoured to deliver the next chapter of aeromedical and patient transport services for our Top End, Big Rivers and East Arnhem communities, working alongside NT Health, our rotary-wing partner Toll Aviation and service-delivery partners as one seamless service," Mr Vaughan said. "With more than 87 years of serving Territorians, the RFDS brings a proven track record in delivering efficient, safe and reliable aeromedical care. flyingdoctorus acknowledge the significant contribution CareFlight has made to TEMRS over more than a decade. Its focus now is on building on that legacy, ensuring patients continue to receive exceptional care while supporting the dedicated people who deliver this every day. Tony Vaughan ASM, RFDS Toll Aviation Senior Vice President Scott Watkins said Toll is incredibly proud to increase its operational capability in the Northern Territory. "The partnership with RFDS will deliver TEMRS with an exceptional service for the community," Mr Watkins said. Over the coming months, RFDS teams will work closely with NT Health, Toll Aviation, CareFlight and other service-delivery partners to plan for a smooth transition, with commencement of the fully integrated service from July 2027. "Shortly we'll commence recruitment for a range of clinical, aviation, operational and support positions," Mr Vaughan said. "We look forward to welcoming new team members, including current RFDS staff seeking new opportunities, and CareFlight employees who may wish to continue delivering aeromedical care in the Top End as part of the RFDS team."

Engineering safer ANE transport for Toll Group. Transporting hazardous materials carries inherent risk, particularly where heat and pressure can increase the likelihood of combustion. For this reason, Wormald was engaged by Toll Group to design and deliver a specialised vehicle fire suppression system to support the safe transport of ammonium nitrate emulsion (ANE) across Australia. Widely used in the mining sector as a raw material in explosives, ANE is routinely transported over long distances by road tanker. While incidents are rare, the potential consequences are significant, particularly in environments where heat exposure can intensify combustion and increase the risk of explosion. Following concept development and testing, the project commenced in 2024, with initial installations at Toll's Tomago (NSW) and Kewdale (WA) facilities. The project formed part of a broader national safety initiative being undertaken by Toll. Addressing the risks Rather than relying solely on traditional fire protection methods, such as hand-operated extinguishers that require drivers to respond in close proximity to hazards, the focus shifted towards improving both early detection and safer intervention. Additional risks can arise during normal operation from undetected faults, such as blown tyres or dragging brakes, which can generate heat through friction and create ignition sources in high-risk environments. Addressing these risks required a considered engineering approach. Variations in trailer configurations, exposure to corrosive ANE materials, and the need for ongoing maintenance were key design factors, alongside ensuring the system remained practical and reliable for operators in high-pressure conditions. A tailored solution Wormald developed a purpose-built system combining targeted firefighting foam suppression with real-time tyre monitoring to strengthen both prevention, detection, and response capabilities. Strategically positioned nozzles deliver firefighting foam directly to high-risk areas, including tyres and braking systems, providing coverage to zones inaccessible to handheld extinguishers. The system is manually activated, allowing drivers to safely stop and assess conditions before deployment. At the same time, an integrated tyre monitoring system provides continuous, real-time data, enabling early detection of faults before they escalate and supporting more informed decision-making on the road. "Designing for ANE transport meant balancing durability, adaptability, and usability. The system had to perform across different trailer configurations, withstand a corrosive environment, and remain simple for operators to use in high-pressure situations," said Wormald Technical Director, Justin Morris. Engineering durability was also a critical part of the final design. Standard brass components were replaced with stainless steel to withstand ANE's corrosive properties, while bespoke cylinder configurations were developed to suit different trailer types without interfering with operations, ensuring long-term serviceability. Delivering safer outcomes Delivery was also carefully planned. Installation was coordinated alongside Toll to align with fleet availability, with detailed pre-planning of cylinder placement, pipe routing and nozzle positioning enabling efficient rollout with minimal disruption. The result is a measurable improvement in safety outcomes, from increased driver awareness through real-time monitoring, to earlier intervention and greater separation between operators and potential fire risk. The project has also received external recognition, with Toll named a finalist in the 2025 WA Work Health and Safety Excellence Awards for Best Solution to a Work Health and Safety Risk. With more than 135 years of experience, Wormald continues to support safer operations across some of Australia's most complex and high-risk environments, delivering specialised fire protection solutions tailored to critical industries.