Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

The Minister for Infrastructure and Transport has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) (a) Yes.

(b) Industry participants will have to plan for and purchase equipment where appropriate to meet enhanced air cargo examination requirements as they are introduced.

(2) Please refer to the response to written Question on Notice No. 60, provided to the Committee as part of the Budget Estimates in May 2012, which addresses these questions.

(3) (a) Maintenance costs on the mixed-use interstate network are generally not related to whether the traffic is freight or passenger. Average axle loads and speeds do not vary substantially between interstate freight and passenger traffic on the interstate network. ARTC is therefore not able to allocate costs with any level of accuracy to the various freight and passenger uses across the different regions of the interstate network.

(b) See answer to part (a). Maintenance costs are an element but there are a range of additional factors that impact pricing and ultimately the ACCC is able to arbitrate on ARTC pricing decisions if agreement with customers is not able to be achieved.