Pickard raises infrastructure and last mile funding with federal transport minister
The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) has brought new federal infrastructure and transport minister Darren Chester up to speed with council concerns about road freight networks.
ALGA president Troy Pickard reports he raised maintenance funding shortfalls, estimated at about $1.2 billion annually from 2010 to 2025 for local roads and bridges, in his first meeting with the minister.
“To this end, I reiterated to the Minister ALGA’s call for the Federal Government to make the Bridges Renewal Program permanent and permanently double the Roads to Recovery funding to assist councils to manage their local roads effectively,” Pickard tells his members.
“The Minister and I also discussed the importance of additional investment in productivity priorities, particularly in addressing first and last mile access issues.
“ALGA strongly supports the government’s focus on improvements in productivity through investment in infrastructure, but we must not forget the issue of first and last mile access, which is a vital factor in the productivity equation, and the role local roads play in this area.
“There is a need for additional investment to improve access for freight vehicles and the connectivity between local roads and preferred state and national freight routes.
“I took the opportunity to brief the Minister on ALGA’s call for a targeted investment of $200 million per annum over the next five years with the specific objective of investing in identified local projects that will achieve measurable productivity outcomes through improved access and connectivity.”
ATN is requesting a response from Chester on the points raised.