Industry input will be sourced, roads minister pledges during state parliament question time
Western Australian transport minister Dean Nalder has reiterated assurances that the trucking industry will be involved in developing mechanisms to return some productivity gains from infrastructure spending.
The comments came as Nalder defends the Main Roads Amendment Bill he introduced to WA parliament last week
but leaves open the prospect that it would be subject to some sort of review and change.
“Concerns have been raised about giving the director general extraordinary powers,” he says during parliamentary question time.
“We are seeking to create an environment in which we deliver a win-win situation for industry.
“We have been working on it and I have been talking about it for over a year.
“We have been working on providing efficiencies and productivity gains for the freight industry.
“We are understanding time, fuel and maintenance saved, and working out whether we can establish a value catch-up if we can build infrastructure and deliver those productivity gains and how we can utilise some of those gains – not all of them, not even half of them – to help fund that infrastructure.
“If we can prove that up, which is what we are working on, we want to continue to do so and to working with the industry.”
Nalder later underlines that changes would be considered.
“The intent of what is in the Bill will stand,” he says.
“If we need to tighten some up some of the language because of the input of members opposite or members within that wish to make a contribution, if that is to occur then so be it.
“We’ve put this bill before Parliament and we will go through its processes where we debate.”