Roads Australia
The future of tolling on Sydney’s M4 motorway next year received widespread media attention last week.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Premier Nathan Rees was committed to removing the toll once the concession period ended next February.
However the paper said a review from the NSW Auditor-General carried a warning that such a move would only add to driver delays and travel times. The Herald also claimed some Cabinet members wanted the toll retained to fund infrastructure.
The Australian Financial Review and AAP also reported the story, with the former citing warnings by transport experts against the use of targeted toll roads to ease congestion unless public transport was first improved.
In other news, the Courier Mail reported last week that new research by insurer AAMI had found that 27 per cent of Brisbane motorists believed drivers should be charged for entering the city - more than double the number in favour the last time the survey was conducted in 2007.
Australia has a unique opportunity to confront its infrastructure challenges ahead of the next wave of Australian growth, according to a new report from the Business Council of Australia (BCA).
The report, Groundwork for Growth: Building the Infrastructure that Australia Needs, was release last week.
“The report highlights that now is the time to take a long-term view of Australia’s growth,” said BCA Sustainable Growth Task Force Chair, Rod Pearse.
“We have an opportunity to lay the groundwork for sustainable growth over the next decade by setting a clear national ambition for Australia’s growth and by planning for the infrastructure to support it.”
The report warns that as economic growth returns and the population continues to expand, infrastructure bottlenecks that appeared towards the end of the last boom are certain to reappear.
The BCA report sets out the three additional priorities to address Australia’s infrastructure challenges:
To measure our progress, the report says, the capacity of Australia’s infrastructure to support growth should receive a regular independent audit by the Productivity Commission.
The report incorporates research by Rod Sims, a director of Port Jackson Partners Limited. This includes detailed reforms covering freight, urban transport, urban and rural water, electricity and broadband communications.
Download the report at the BCA website.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has signalled a new commitment to long-term reform of city planning in the interests of national productivity and sustainability.
In a major speech to the Business Council of Australia last week, Mr Rudd proposed a partnership with the states and territories to develop national criteria for the future strategic planning of our major cities.
And he added that the Commonwealth would now consider linking all future infrastructure funding to compliance with these criteria.
“If the Commonwealth is to foot any significant part of the urban infrastructure bill – the Commonwealth will legitimately expect to have confidence in the integrity of the strategic planning system in our major cities," Mr Rudd said.
“The goal is that our cities have strong, transparent and long-term plans for growth and high- quality urban development.”
Mr Rudd said the new criteria for the strategic planning systems in our major cities should focus on:
“We will also need new Commonwealth–state arrangements to jointly assess performance against these criteria and to advise on how performance can be improved,” Mr Rudd said.
“These arrangements will build the spirit of mutual co-operation, determination and goodwill that characterises the attitude of all Australian governments towards this challenging agenda.”
Mr Rudd foreshadowed that the new criteria would be developed through COAG next year.
The full text of the Prime Minister’s speech can be downloaded at the BCA website.
Sydney’s infrastructure requires a significant amount of reform - in particular, transport infrastructure to service both commuters and freight - to accommodate 10 million-plus people by 2050, according to a new report.
GHD last month hosted the launch of Sydney Towards Tomorrow, published by the Association of Consulting Engineers Australia (ACEA).
The report identifies six key areas of priority it says will help address Sydney’s future infrastructure requirements. Its strategic focus is on urban planning integration and transport infrastructure rather than providing a list of infrastructure priorities for Sydney.
The themes targeted in Sydney Towards Tomorrow include:
Tom Pinzone, Business Leader for Integrated Urban Transport at GHD, who chaired the team that developed the report, says Sydney needs a structured planning process to drive integrated land use and infrastructure outcomes, but it is essential that this is delivered through a process of committed funding and full community involvement.
The new report can be downloaded at the ACEA website.
The importance of local roads to Victorian industry and the national economy has been highlighted in a new strategy developed by the Victorian Government and the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV).
Roads and Ports Minister, Tim Pallas, last week launched Victorian Local Roads: Critical links in the national supply chain with MAV president, Bill McArthur.
Mr Pallas encouraged the Commonwealth Government to establish a new funding program through Infrastructure Australia to help upgrade and maintain the vital local road network.
“Too often the economic value of roads goes under-appreciated, with local roads seen as minor roads rather than being recognised as vital economic links,” Mr Pallas said.
“The majority of vehicle trips – whether freight, commercial or private – start and finish on local roads. While major freeways and highways carry tens of thousands of vehicles each day, local road performance is critical to the network’s overall efficiency.
“Increased Commonwealth investment in local roads will enhance the international competitiveness and sustainability of Victoria’s key industries.”
Cr McArthur commended the Victorian Government for recognising the importance of local roads and working in partnership with local government to increase funding.
“The financial capacity of local councils can vary greatly across the state, and with the collective responsibility for maintaining more than 80 per cent of Victoria’s road network, greater support is needed,” Cr McArthur said.
“Further Commonwealth funding is critical for driving safety and productivity improvements on local roads that can, in turn, stimulate local economies and grow Victoria’s industries.”
Victorian Local Roads: Critical links in the national supply chain will form part of the Victorian Government’s submission for funding from Infrastructure Australia. The strategy is available at www.transport.vic.gov.au
Submitted by Mark Bowmer on Sunday November 1st 2009 7:33pm
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