The chairman of the Australian Trucking Association (ATA), David Simon, has backed the proposed overhaul of Infrastructure Australia promised by the Coalition because it promises a greater focus on the long-term needs of Australia’s road network.
In the run up to the federal election, Coalition infrastructure spokesman Warren Truss highlighted a number of changes his party would make to the institution in an effort to ensure it attained greater transparency and independence.
These proposals include the appointment of a fully independent board to which a chief executive is answerable, an obligation to publish evidence-based audits every 5 years, and the power to carry out detailed cost-effectiveness tests on Commonwealth development projects.
Infrastructure Australia would also be responsible for developing a 15-year infrastructure project pipeline, to be reviewed every 5 years.
While underlining the need to look beyond just winning electoral support, the ATA chairman welcomed the Coalition’s proposals as going some way to addressing Australia’s road infrastructural needs.
“Australia’s current road planning and funding system is broken,” he said. “Too many decisions at all levels of government are determined by short-term considerations. The Coalition’s plan would help governments focus on making long term road funding decisions, because the deficiencies in Australia’s infrastructure base, and the best spending options, would be clear to everyone.”
He went on to say that critical engineering issues need to be set so that high productivity vehicles could become viable transport options on key freight routes. Doing so, he explained, would increase productivity, improve safety and reduce the industry’s carbon footprint by cutting fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 31%.
In July, Infrastructure Australia announced a 50-Year Plan which included proposals to establish a single national infrastructure fund, encourage more private investment, and introduce more ‘user pays’ funding arrangements.
According to the Federal Government figures, since the inception of Infrastructure Australia in 2008, more than 7,500 kilometres of road and 4,000 kilometres of rail have been either upgraded or built, with a total of $60 billion spent on projects. Currently, 71 road projects and 20 rail projects are still underway.
In the run up to the federal election, Coalition infrastructure spokesman Warren Truss highlighted a number of changes his party would make to the institution in an effort to ensure it attained greater transparency and independence.