The 10th meeting of the Transport and Infrastructure Council (the Council) was held in Sydney last Friday. The Council comprises Transport, Infrastructure and Planning ministers from the Commonwealth, States and Territories, New Zealand and the Australian Local Government Association.
Ministers discussed the continued work on heavy vehicle road reform. To advance these reforms, the Council agreed to develop a nationally-consistent service level standard for roads to categorise roads by their function and set customer-focussed service levels for each road category. The aim is to improve transparency for road users and provide an evidence-base for road investment decisions.
The Council requested jurisdictions to return in 2019 with advice on heavy vehicle road reform options, including advice on implementation. The focus will be on developing a package of measures to deliver benefits for industry, with further consultation to occur on elements of the reforms. The advice will look at road funding reform, independent price regulation and a forward-looking cost base, while considering the needs of users of less-travelled roads. The Council agreed to work with the Council on Federal Financial Relations on the reforms in 2019.
The Council noted the work of the National Transport Commission on testing the feasibility of establishing a forward-looking cost base, with further work on this to occur in 2019.
The full communique from the meeting is available at the Transport and Infrastructure Council website: https://transportinfrastructurecouncil.gov.au/communique/