Federal Government commits to the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator with a $2.8 million investment over two years
May 11, 2011
The Federal Government has committed to national truck regulations, with a $2.8 million investment over two years to secure the reforms.
The project team responsible for establishing the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator will receive $1.8 million next financial year and $1 million in 2012-2013.
Work is currently underway on establishing the structure of the regulator. Based in the Brisbane, the project team is chaired by Main Roads Western Australia Managing Director Menno Henneveld.
Once established, the regulator will be responsible for enforcing national truck regulations.
The Budget also allocates funding for a national rail regulator, which will be based in South Australia. The Government will spend $1.4 million in 2011-12 and $600,000 the following financial year.
Another $10 million will be given to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority to regulate all commercial vessels, and $10.4 million for the Australian Transport Safety Bureau to establish a national investigation framework for rail and maritime safety.
“After more than a century of competing regulations and standards, this funding will move Australia to one set of modern, nationwide laws covering maritime safety, rail safety and heavy vehicles,” Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese says.
“These reforms will help to establish a seamless national economy and will assist transport operators to keep supermarket shelves full and get out exports to overseas markets.”
Albanese says the reforms will reduce the number of regulators from 23 to 3 and improve national income by up to $30 billion over the next 20 years.