The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) did not reach an agreement about the host state for the national truck regulator and truck laws when it met on Monday.
Australia’s transport ministers had referred the decision to COAG, with New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland all offering to host the regulator.
ATA Chairman Trevor Martyn urges the members of COAG – the Prime Minister, state and territory leaders, and the President of the Australian Local Government Association – to reach a decision as soon as possible, because it is fundamental to getting the plan underway.
“The host state will be responsible for passing the national truck laws, and the national regulator will be one of its statutory authorities,” Martyn says.
Martyn says the ATA did not have a view about which state should host the national regulator.
“All we care about is the results: safer roads for the community and greater productivity for our customers,” he says.
He says the ATA will continue working with the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Mr Albanese, and his department to make sure the specifics of the plan benefit the whole industry.
At the meeting, COAG agreed to consider the National Partnership Agreement for the truck regulator in the first half of 2010.
COAG also agreed to a detailed work plan for delivering the pricing elements of its Road Reform Plan.
“Under the plan, a feasibility study for alternative models of road pricing and funding will be completed by December 2011, which should include specific consideration of mass-distance location pricing," the COAG communiqué says.
The outcomes of the feasibility study will help determine whether direct pricing is feasible.”
Add a comment