New South Wales’ Community Road Safety fund has committed a further $30 million to expand the Future Mobility Testing and Research Centre (FMTRC) in Cudal to further enhance highway speed and heavy vehicle testing in the state.
The investment means the facility will quadruple in size, and it follows the purchase of 100 hectares of farmland adjacent to the existing site.
Planned works include the expansion and construction of a 4.4-kilometre loop track and a new heavy vehicle skid pad.
Construction of the new loop track is set to begin in 2025 following planning and community consultation.
NSW Minister for Roads John Graham says the upgraded facility will help the heavy vehicle industry keep pace with technological advancements being made in the light vehicle sector.
“As light vehicles continue to become more advanced, there is also a need to uplift testing capabilities to keep up with new, increasingly automated, technology,” Graham says.
“The need for a new heavy vehicle testing space in the southern hemisphere was a key finding from extensive engagement with vehicle manufacturers, developers and researchers to map the future for the Cudal site.
“The new Cudal track will let the team test new driver assist systems in real-world scenarios, including heavy laden B-doubles travelling at highway speeds, and situations involving head-on approaches and merging safety with cars, trucks and motorcycles.”
The FMTRC facility has delivered over 85 test and research programs since its establishment in 2019 and is critical in enacting real-world scenarios that further enhance truck safety.
Transport for NSW Director Future Mobility Evan Walker says the investment has come directly from industry feedback about what is needed to ensure trucks continue to become safer on Australian roads.
“We’re acting on feedback directly from manufacturers, developers, and industry about the kind of facility they need, and addressing a growing community and government need for confidence and assurance in vehicle safety as new technologies emerge,” Walker says.
“Our team ensures these systems do what they claim to and identifies the best emerging safety technology that we want to encourage more of on our roads to reduce the heavy cost of crashes on our community.”
“Our vision for the Future Mobility Testing and Research Centre is that it continues to grow as a world-class vehicle testing site.”
The facility is the only government-owned and operated testing centre of its kind in the world.
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