The ATA submission says transparency and changes are needed in the current NTC road charge models
The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) has released its submission on the current National Transport Commission’s (NTC) heavy vehicle charge consultation papers for 2-23-24 and beyond.
The ATA, in its weekly newsletter, says the changes are “broken” and more changes must be made.
“Nearly everyone accepts that the NTC charges model, PAYGO, no longer works,” the ATA says.
“This means the road charges recommended to ministers are made up, fictional and without any of the expected rigour.”
In its summary of its submission, the ATA says the PAYGO model “is dead”, as it says the federal government can’t tell the industry what the charges will pay for.
The ATA recommends that transport ministers adopt a charging trajectory of zero per cent in 2023-24 and then 2.75 per cent in both 2024-25 and 2025-26.
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In response to consultation questions, the ATA says the state governments’ road expenditure figures were used without audit or appraisal, with the model prioritising new projects over road maintenance spending.
The association calls for the PAYGO cost base to recalculated so that major projects included are endorsed by independent infrastructure agencies, are based on transport planning and include rest areas and access improvements.
“There is also an urgent and unfulfilled reform priority for governments to improve the transparency of the cost base,” the ATA says.
“Governments should make it clear what road user charges are paying for and how industry priorities will be implemented.”