Heavy Vehicle Charging and Investment Reform

About the Project

The HeavyVehicle Charging and Investment (HVCI) Reform project team is working towardsimproving heavy vehicle productivity by directing funds to growth areas of theroad network. The overarching goal of this scheme is to make sure the industryis getting the kind of network access it needs to increase productivity andsafety by changing the way governments build and maintain roads.

The HVCIReform project aims to develop a more efficient and sustainable Australian roadnetwork for freight by applying the following measures:

• Ensuringvehicle road charges reflect the cost of road use and infrastructure required
• Ensuringrevenue collected by government in heavy vehicle charges flows back intoimproving road services and developing the road network
• Facilitatingbetter coordination and consultation between three levels of government

The corefocus of the HVCI Reform is the investment of collected road charges into theroad network. HVCI looks to ensure that money raised from heavy vehicle chargesare used to maintain the road network and unblock infrastructure barriers likerest areas, bridges and local government roads. The aim of the project is toensure that the industry is at the heart of road investment planning.

Heavy Vehicle Productivity

The roadfreight industry has experienced exponential growth in the past 40 years.Consequently, the road network has expanded, allowing productivity growth todouble. In the next 15 years, road freight is projected to double again, howeverproductivity growth will diminish significantly if further reform is notimplemented. In order to combat the challenges of the road freight industry,targeted investment in infrastructure is crucial. Productivity improvement isthe only approach that can meet heavy vehicle tasks and avoid considerable costincreases that are ultimately funded by tax payers or consumers.