Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Roads and Regional Transport) Share this | Hansard source

In rising to speak on the motion by the member for Makin, I commend the member for his ongoing advocacy, particularly in relation to road safety matters and transport issues more generally. Members on this side of the House also recognise the importance of the road transport industry to the Australian economy. Australia's trucking industry in particular is an incredibly important part of our economy, providing a vital statistical link between the community, Australian businesses and of course our agricultural sector. Australia's freight task is estimated to triple by 2050, from 503 billion tonne-kilometres to 1540 billion tonne-kilometres, with local demand for total freight movements increasing by as much as 60 per cent by 2020. As a member from a regional area, I am sure that you, Deputy Speaker Scott, like many other members in regional communities, well understand the importance of our road transport industry and challenges it faces. One particular challenge is the confusing regulatory regime which exists. The coalition acknowledges the significant benefits that can be achieved by harmonising the many conflicting and contradictory regulations in the heavy vehicle industry. It has been estimated—and I take up the member for Makin's comments—that harmonising regulations in this area has a potential total gain of $12.4 billion. The gains to be made, particularly in terms of productivity, are quite significant. It is fair to say that, over the years, state governments have failed to respond to the industry's needs and improve their efficiencies by implementing nationally consistent transport regulations.

At the last election the federal coalition committed to pursuing regulatory harmonisation to build a truly national and seamless road freight sector. We understand the great importance of this task to the productivity of the Australian economy. Determining the appropriate parameters of such a detailed and overarching scheme, which is intended to have a broad scope, is extremely difficult and it is a necessity to ensure, through a very extensive consultation, that the right scheme is implemented and that any unintended consequences are avoided and handled quickly if they do arise. I understand, for example, that the Australian Trucking Association has identified 245 issues in the draft regulations that it would like to see resolved prior to their complete introduction.

I urge the government to continue to work with such key industry bodies. This government does not have a great record of listening to the people on the ground. I urge the government in this circumstance to actually listen to the people on the ground who are dealing with these issues on a daily basis. However, we support the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and efforts to deliver productivity improvements and the potential to cut red tape, remove inconsistencies which currently exist—obviously to save money for the operators involved—and reduce the confusion that currently exists throughout the heavy vehicle industry.

In the time that I have available to me I would also like to make some more general comments about heavy vehicles and the issue of road safety, which the member for Makin also touched on. This year the federal government released its 10-year National Road Safety Strategy. As with all such strategies the true test will be in its implementation. The strategy sets a target to reduce the annual number of deaths and serious injuries on Australian roads by at least 30 per cent. I think both sides of the chamber would acknowledge that, while that is an ambitious target, it does recognise that there are many severe road crashes which are preventable in our community. I am sure there are members on both sides of the House who are committed to the task of reducing the incidence of road trauma in our community.

Australia has a long and quite proud history of continually improving its road safety record—from historic legislation making it compulsory to wear seatbelts through to programs which have targeted drink-driving, speeding and other aspects of driver behaviour. Road crashes still cause 1,400 deaths and 32,500 serious injuries each year across Australia. The social and economic impacts are obviously devastating, and there would not be anyone in the Australian community who has not been touched by the consequences of road trauma.

I welcome the government's development, in conjunction with various organisations, of a National Road Safety Strategy for the next 10 years and acknowledge the importance that the heavy vehicle sector will play in achieving the desired outcomes I just referred to. I think one of the key issues—which is not often understood—about working to reduce road trauma is the importance of investing in infrastructure to improve the safety of the road environment itself. It has been said in the past that providing for a safer road environment has the potential to save more lives than improved driver behaviour and enforcement measures put together. It is an important point to remember when we talk about issues of road safety. Investing in safer vehicles has had some very significant impacts, particularly in reducing the severity of accidents. The road enforcement measures right across Australia are a given. We have various road blitzes by state jurisdictions, and there are community information and advertising campaigns initiated by governments across Australia which have been very successful in targeting improved driver behaviour. They all have an important role to play.

There will be no simple solution to driving down the road trauma in our nation. We need to acknowledge that humans will always make mistakes and we need to provide a transport system that is more accommodating of these mistakes. I think that is one of the most critical points in reducing road trauma—particularly in our regional communities, where the incidents on country roads tend to involve higher speeds and where the potential for severe injuries and deaths is heightened. There are infrastructure improvements which can have a major affect on reducing crashes. I believe it is up to governments of all levels to continue to invest in improving the road conditions, to work closely with industry and to consult with local communities to identify potential accident black spots. The investment will pay a long-term dividend not only in the economic sense but also in the social sense with reduced trauma in our communities.

There are a wide range of road treatments and road designs which need to specifically consider the needs of all road users, particularly the heavy vehicle industry that we are taking about today. Things like wider shoulder treatments, the tactile road edges and even the design aspects of curves, which accommodate the larger vehicles on our roads, are all very important issues which require substantial and ongoing investment right across our nation. In addition to those various road treatments, another key safety matter which sometimes escapes much public attention but is particularly relevant to our heavy vehicle operators is the need for investment in our roadside rest areas. Under the transport policy which the Nationals advocated at the last election we made a commitment in conjunction with our coalition partners to fund 500 new roadside stops for truck drivers. We understand that the nation's truck drivers are facing mandated rest breaks as a result of the heavy vehicle driver fatigue reforms and that there is a need for adequate roadside rest points. It is becoming increasingly important for the safety of drivers.

I am disappointed that Labor's current $70 million Heavy Vehicle Safety Strategy and productivity package is simply not going to go far enough to bring Australia's national highways close to meeting the National Transport Council guidelines. Labor's funding for truck rest stops is simply not going to be enough to achieve this goal. In fact, the funding for the current 2011-12 financial year has already been fully exhausted. The government has a long way to go in this regard. It is all very well to talk about the heavy vehicle industry and its support, but when it comes to delivering these services and facilities on the ground the government still has some challenges it needs to meet. The coalition, to its credit, has promised to build an additional 500 roadside stops over the next 10 years at an approximate cost of $300 million to bring the 22,500 kilometres of Australia's national highways into broad compliance with the National Transport Commission guidelines. This is an issue which the Australian Trucking Association recognised in its submission to the National Road Safety Strategy earlier this year. I quote from the ATA's contribution in relation to rest areas. It says:

Appropriate rest areas, with shade, amenities and minimal noise allow drivers to comply with fatigue regulations. The Austroads' Audit of Rest Areas against National Guidelines, shows the quantity and quality of rest areas are below national standards. This is a symptom of planning and funding problems.

…   …   …

A further problem is the removal of existing rest areas. Rest areas that are temporarily removed due to capital works should be immediately replaced. New road planning that expects significant heavy vehicle traffic should include rest area facilities.

It is an important bit of feedback from the industry and something the government should take on board.

In conclusion, I briefly mention that I had a recent meeting in Lakes Entrance, in my electorate, with representatives from the South East Australian Transport Strategy. I commend the SEATS members for their ongoing advocacy work on behalf of their respective communities. They are taking very much a holistic view of the transport needs of their region. One of the key focuses of their work is the need to upgrade the Princes Highway in south-east Australia. This, as a policy position, is very close to my heart; it is also close to the hearts of many thousands of Gippslanders who have signed petitions, written letters and supported my efforts in this place. It is an issue that I have raised with the current Minister for Infrastructure and Transport and will continue to raise in the interests of road safety for all road users.

See this speech in context