A leading transport industry body has told the National Transport Commission there should be no price rise for heavy vehicle charges for 2023-24
The National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) has told the National Transport Commission (NTC) that a road freight transport sector already under enormous cost pressure should not be subjected to onerous increases in heavy vehicle charges.
NatRoad has asked for a zero increase in heavy vehicle charges for 2023-24 in its submission to the NTC’s Heavy Vehicle Charges consultation.
“NatRoad’s position that if governments are going to increase the road user charge (RUC) and registration charges, there should be no increase in the first year and only small percentage rises in the two years following,” says CEO Warren Clark.
“The NTC needs to take into account the current industry conditions – particularly record high fuel prices.
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“Certainty is important so we agree with the NTC’s recommendation that ministers set heavy vehicle charges for a three-year period beginning in 2023-24.”
Clark says it’s futile to base increased RUC and registration charges on past state and territory road expenditure.
“This leads to a situation where charges are driven solely by governments’ spending plans,” Clark says.
“Those plans are often inconsistent with real world requirements (such as road maintenance or sealing) or industry’s ability to pay (which is diminishing for a broad range of economic reasons.)”