The 4th meeting of the Standing Council on Transport and Infrastructure (the Standing Council) has been held in Canberra to consider a wide range of transport initiatives and reforms. The Standing Council includes Transport, Infrastructure and Planning Ministers from the Commonwealth, States and Territories, New Zealand and the Australian Local Government Association.
National Transport Regulation reforms
The Standing Council took decisions to finalise the implementation of the national heavy vehicle, rail safety and maritime safety regulators. These reforms are expected to provide significant productivity benefits to the transport industry and to Australia’s national economy.
The National Rail Safety Regulator commenced operations on 20 January 2013 and the Rail Safety National Law has been enacted in South Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory, New South Wales and Victoria. The Standing Council has now approved the fees regulation to apply for the 2013-14 financial year, following industry consultation by the National Regulator.
The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator was established on 21 January 2013. The Standing Council welcomed the passage of the Heavy Vehicle National Law 2012 and the Heavy Vehicle National Law Amendment Act 2013 in Queensland; which will allow other states and territories to pass enabling legislation in the coming months.
The Standing Council also approved the Advanced Fatigue Management arrangements for managing driver fatigue.
National Land Freight Strategy
The Standing Council agreed to the National Land Freight Strategy, which represents the first time a national approach to planning for freight has been jointly agreed by Australian governments. With Australia’s freight task forecast to double by 2030 from 2010 levels, the strategy provides an integrated approach to addressing the key issues confronting Australia’s freight infrastructure, identifying the measures needed to address planning, investment and regulatory challenges. Implementation of the strategy will commence immediately.
The strategy can be found at http://scoti.gov.au/publications/index.aspx.
ARA comment
The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) has welcomed the release of the National Land Freight Strategy by the federal and state governments, through the Standing Council on Transport and Infrastructure (SCOTI).
The strategy importantly sets out a work plan that will help realise the long term goals of an efficient, productive and competitive national land freight system, a sustainable land freight system that responds to growth and change, and that policies affecting land freight are aligned and coherent across government.
“With our population growing and demand for mining outputs and commodities on the increase, it’s vital that our freight transport systems are able to cope now and into the future,” said ARA CEO Bryan Nye.
“This strategy rightly acknowledges that rail and road freight planning and investment need to be done concurrently, not in competition with each other,” Mr Nye went on to say.
Complementing recent reforms such as the establishment of a National Rail Safety Regulator and National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, the national strategy also builds on from existing (or under development) state-based freight strategies.
“Whilst the National Rail Safety Regulator is a great step forward for our industry, we still need the remaining states to sign up to ensure a nationally consistent regulatory environment,” Mr Nye continued.
From here, the federal and state governments now need to ensure that the strategies’ work plan is followed through in accordance with the timeline outlined, and appropriate funding and resources are secured to ensure successful delivery of these tasks.
“The next step is getting moving with vital work such as identifying freight corridors that need to be protected, completing the state based freight strategies still under development, encouraging all states to embrace nationally consistent regulation and continuing other initiatives as outlined in the document.
“This strategy is a good outcome, now everyone needs to get to work to see it through. When it comes to freight transport, rail is ready to do business,” Mr Nye concluded.
