Heavy motor vehicle costs unchanged amid pre-election infrastructure spend
Victoria will fund a review of truck driver training and licensing as part of its freight strategy for 2018-19, announced as a sidenote in the state Budget, released today.
Within its Transport Freight Plan, the review will “seek to grow the driver workforce and attract young people into the industry, as a response to address the State’s growing road freight task”, according to Budget papers.
It came as the budget papers recognised that Victorian businesses were finding it more difficult to fill skilled positions at a Certificate II or III level – including occupations such as truck drivers, carpenters and aged carers.
The vacancy rate had risen to 13.3 vacancies per 1000 jobs in 2017, up from 10.8 vacancies per 1000 jobs in 2013.
With a funding allocation of $7.6 million, the plan will also be used to develop a business case for the proposed Western Interstate Freight Terminal – which would see a rail freight terminal and warehousing precinct built at Truganina, in Melbourne’s west, to ultimately replace the current terminals at Dynon.
Investigations into a planned integrated logistics hub at the Melbourne Markets and Dynon Road will also be conducted with the funds.
The Budget is the last to be handed down by Victorian treasurer Tim Pallas ahead of a state election, scheduled by premier Daniel Andrews for November this year.
The plan is a sidebar to the planned $4 billion upgrade to transport infrastructure announced in the budget, including a planned $2.2 billion upgrade to suburban roads and another $941 million allocated to upgrading the regional road network.
It comes after a number of the Budget’s marquee items were announced well before the formal release of the budget today, including the $14.9 billion development of the Major Road Projects Authority and the allocation of $110 million to fast track the completion of the North East Link.
In his Budget speech, Pallas saysthe projects were some of the biggest in the history of the state – “projects that will significantly reduce congestion and get Victorians home safer and faster.”
“It’s critical we balance the immediate needs of passengers and commuters with the long-term realities and priorities of a growing state,” he says.
Motor taxes are expected to generate about $2.7 billion in revenue for the government over the coming year, growing by an average of 4.7 per cent every year over the forward estimates in line with forecast continued population growth.
However, heavy vehicle drivers need not despair, as the budget said that heavy motor vehicle charges will remain frozen at 2017-18 levels until the release of the 2019-20 budget next year.