NatRoad CEO Warren Clark is backing the ATA’s call for a freeze of the road user charge
The National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) says it supports broader industry calls for heavy vehicle charges to be put on hold for 2023-24.
NatRoad says it lodged its submission to the National Transport Commission’s (NTC) consultation paper and that it aligns with the Australian Trucking Association’s (ATA) response.
In the response, NatRoad CEO Warren Clark says a freeze should be put on charges for the next year.
“We are both asking for a freeze on charges next year and for increases in the two financial years after that will be limited to 2.76 per cent,” Clark says.
“We also agree with the ATA’s call for a lower remote area road user charge set at half the national road user charge rate.”
Clark says that ongoing high fuel costs is one of many burdens that trucking businesses and operators are meant to absorb, alongside state border closures, higher AdBlue costs and last year’s fuel tax credit cut.
“From April 1 to August 18 last year, some 2,000 heavy on-road transport operators had to negotiate payment arrangements with the ATO because of the fuel tax budget decision,” Clark says.
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He says the existing heavy vehicle cost base is meaningless as it uses the road expenditure figures of state governments without any audit or appraisal.
“It means spending is entirely driven by governments’ budget decisions with no direct link to industry needs or increasing productivity,” Clark says.
“It also leads to new projects being prioritised over road maintenance spending.”
Clark finished his submission by saying Australia needs a more systematic approach to building, maintaining and funding resilient infrastructure so there is less need for emergency measures.