National Local Roads and Transport Congress 2006

Local government roads and transport strategy: 2006 - 2016

See also: National Local Roads and Transport Congress 2006

Endorsed by the National Local Roads and Transport Congress 2006, the strategy will be considered by the ALGA Board in August and will be formally launched at the National General Assembly of Local Government in November.

A five-point plan

This strategy has been designed around five core components:

  1. Local road funding and management
  2. Urban transport solutions
  3. Mobility and access for regional Australians
  4. Freight management
  5. Long term financial sustainability of local government
1. Local road funding and management
Objective

To establish permanent funding arrangements for local government to ensure a well-managed, sustainable local road system that provides appropriate access and levels of service for all communities.

Strategies

Local government calls for:

  1. Bipartisan federal support for increase funding for Australia's roads and transport infrastructure and services as a national priority.
  2. Bipartisan federal commitments to ongoing funding for the Roads to Recovery Program separate from, and in addition to FAGs funding.
  3. Bipartisan federal commitment to improve the AusLink strategic regional program by removing impediments to participation, such as the requirement that councils contribute 30% of own source funding for projects in excess of $1m.
  4. State and territory governments to increase their local road funding effort in real terms.
  5. Federal and state governments to provide local government with a fair share of road based revenues from existing road user charges to better reflect user costs, not simply past expenditure patterns.
  6. Bi-partisan federal support to work with local government to address skills shortages, including engagement with stakeholders in the civil/road construction industry.

Local government shall:

  1. position local government as best placed to pursue the Australian Government's regional development objectives as set out under the AusLink framework by developing regional road and transport networks, through programs such as the Strategic Regional Program, and seek increased funding for this purpose;
  2. accord priority to improving safety and environmental outcomes in implementing the Roads to Recovery program
  3. engage with state and territory governments on opportunities for shared planning and provision of roads infrastructure such as regional roads
  4. protect the integrity and the status of the Roads to Recovery Program by working with the Department of Transport and Regional Services (DOTARS) on compliance and funding provisions.
  5. establish and maintain a data base on local roads that provides quality information on the status and performance of the network to support local government's advocacy
  6. establish and implement consistent asset management standards for the local road network
  7. engage with DOTARS and other relevant agencies to acquire ongoing financial support to maintain the data base and to assist state and territory associations with the roll out of asset management tools;
  8. engage with agencies, including the National Transport Commission, and COAG, to ensure that benefits will flow to local government from strategic initiatives such as improved road pricing and infrastructure funding arrangements; and
  9. examine alternative funding arrangements, such as public private partnerships for local roads and transport activities.
2. Urban transport solutions
Objective

To achieve balanced and sustainable transport systems in urban areas, to improve urban amenity, support sustainable urban communities and provide viable alternatives to the use of private motor vehicles.

Strategies
  1. Local government calls on COAG and the Transport Ministers Council to urgently address urban transport issues including:
    1. reviewing and scoping of urban congestion issues, which include initiatives to improve the integration of land use and transport planning; and
    2. a balance between economic imperatives such as the protection of freight corridors and the social needs of communities, such as passenger travel and the protection of urban amenity
    3. achieving clear definition of the respective roles and responsibilities of the three spheres of government.
    4. exploring different funding models drawing on, among other things, overseas experience of local government partnerships with other governments.
  2. Local government calls on federal and state/territory governments to implement an all government and whole of government approach to urban and regional transport issues.
  3. Local government calls on federal and state/territory governments to accord high priority to areas of special need such as outer metropolitan areas that are public transport poor
  4. While recognising states/territories have the major responsibility for the provision of adequate urban transport services, local government calls upon the federal government to commit to urban public transport initiatives. Funding should be separate from, and in addition to, the Roads to Recovery Program
  5. Local government calls on federal and state governments to work with local government to develop strategies to address urban congestion.
  6. Local government calls on the federal and state/territory governments to work with local government to improve inter-agency cooperation on integrated land use and transport planning.
3. Mobility and access for regional Australians
Objective

To achieve equity in access for all regional communities, particularly to essential services, through integrated planning and the provision of transport services.

Strategies

Local government calls upon the federal and state/territory governments to:

  1. implement the recommendations of the Making Ends Meet report into regional aviation, to support the viability, safety and security of regional airlines and airports;
  2. provide regional communities with equitable levels of service through rail, coach, taxi, ferry and airline services;
  3. revitalise country passenger and freight rail services;
  4. undertake research on locational disadvantage brought about by factors such as the centralisation of services.
  5. upgrade rail crossings to improve safety
4. Freight management
Objective

Improve the efficient and effective movement of freight and freight vehicles through local communities in a way which safeguards community concern for safe, clean and noise free environments.

Strategies

Local government calls on federal and state/territory governments to support:

  1. initiatives to maximise efficiency of freight logistics chains and to determine innovative solutions to minimising community impacts of freight transport.
  2. development of improved freight infrastructure pricing regimes that take account of community impacts of freight vehicles;
  3. revitalisation of rail so that this sector can perform to its full potential,
  4. ongoing rail reform and improved competitiveness of rail in wider set of freight tasks.
  5. long-term structural change that better positions local government to benefit from future freight infrastructure pricing regimes, and that facilitates investment in local road infrastructure commensurate with the freight task;
  6. development of regulatory measures aimed at producing safer, quieter and lower emission freight vehicles;
  7. assessments of the impact on the local road network and the provision of appropriate funding to the road infrastructure provider, where rail rationalisations or closures are proposed;
  8. application of AusLink funding to rail freight infrastructure and to alleviating impacts of freight vehicles on local amenity; and
  9. priority for highway bypasses in road project planning for towns with high volumes of heavy vehicles, particularly limited access vehicles
  10. development of proposals to address the growing freight task by accommodating more productive road vehicles, consistent with good safety and environmental outcomes;

Local government calls on the National Transport Commission and other agencies to:

  1. protect and improve the position of local government in the development of freight policy; and
  2. develop a communications strategy that keeps local government fully-appraised of developments in this area.
5. Long term financial sustainability of local government
Objective

To achieve long term financial sustainability for local road and transport systems in addition to increased general purpose funding.

Strategies

Local government calls for:

  1. Improved state and federal funding for local government;
  2. Replacement of the current system of financial assistance grants with a system that provides local government with a share of at least one per cent of Commonwealth taxation revenue;
  3. The continuation/implementation of separate Special Purpose funding programs (SPP) for roads and for transport projects.
  4. Strong adherence by state and federal governments to the intergovernmental agreement on cost shifting;
  5. Further development of partnerships between state and federal governments and local government to address specific local government transport tasks; and
  6. Constitutional recognition for local government.

 

Contact
Cr Paul Bell AM, ALGA President - 0418 791 596
David Anderson, ALGA Director Transport Policy - 02 6122 9432

 
Page last updated: 12 July 2006