A-trailer charges could be as much as halved under proposed changes to heavy vehicle charges released by the National Transport Commission (NTC) for public consultation.
The Heavy Vehicle Charges Issues Consultation Paper outlines four different options for resolving the issues industry is currently experiencing with A-trailer charges.
NTC chief executive Nick Dimopoulos said the options have been developed following extensive industry consultation and are based on national policy and sound research.
“We take the concerns that industry has raised with us very seriously,” said Mr Dimopoulos.
“We’re keen to ensure that the charging model that is in place doesn’t penalise industry for using safer and more efficient vehicles such as B-triples.
“We’ve drawn on the best available research when developing this options paper, which has given us access to more accurate information about road wear than ever before.
“Importantly, we’ve ensured we’ve assessed every option to determine whether it can be implemented quickly in accordance with requests from industry.”
At the November 2011 meeting of the Standing Council on Transport and Infrastructure (SCOTI), ministers requested that the NTC investigate options for addressing A-trailer pricing issues for their consideration in February 2012.
The NTC consultation paper assesses each option against the following objectives:
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Quick implementation time.
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Impact on national consistency.
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Whether it encourages the use of safer and more productive vehicles.
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Whether it adheres to the pricing principles established by the Council of Australian Governments and the Australian Transport Council (now SCOTI).
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Impact on government revenue.
The NTC’s consultation paper also includes options for calculating the annual adjustment.
“Australia has experienced a number of natural disasters that have required significant amounts of additional government road expenditure over the last couple of years. We’re recommending that this cost isn’t passed onto industry as part of the annual adjustment,” said Mr Dimopoulos.
The NTC invites submissions on the paper by 30 January 2012 to ensure the NTC meets the deadline set by SCOTI.
“We’re meeting with governments and industry over the next 6 weeks to seek feedback on the consultation paper,” said Mr Dimopoulos.
“The paper is still at a preliminary stage and we welcome submissions.”
The NTC consultation paper is available on the NTC website (
www.ntc.gov.au). Submissions can be made online through the NTC website or by mail to Nick Dimopoulos, National Transport Commission, Level 15, 628 Bourke Street, MELBOURNE VIC 3000.