Senate debates

Thursday, 17 June 2010

Interstate Road Transport Charge Amendment Bill 2010

Second Reading

Debate resumed from 15 June, on motion by Senator Stephens:

That this bill be now read a second time.

1:28 pm

Photo of Ian MacdonaldIan Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | | Hansard source

The Interstate Road Transport Charge Amendment Bill 2010 is a fairly technical bill that ensures that owners of heavy vehicles registered under the Federal Interstate Registration Scheme will not pay a higher registration than owners of similar trucks registered under the state registration schemes.

There are approximately 20,500 heavy vehicles registered under the federal scheme, which is an alternative to the state based registration schemes and is designed for operators who run heavy vehicles which are engaged solely in interstate operations. This scheme is designed to provide uniform charges and operating conditions for heavy vehicles in those interstate operations.

The National Transport Commission is responsible for reviewing national heavy vehicle charges and calculating annual adjustments, and the new adjustment figure that has been established by the National Transport Commission was agreed upon by the Australian Transport Council in April this year. We in the opposition accept that it is appropriate for the commission to regularly review the means by which it calculates the cost of trucks on our roads, particularly given the mix of heavy vehicles using the road system is continually changing. The new adjustment figure is 4.2 per cent.

Unfortunately, there are administrative complexities that mean that the new rate cannot be applied without this legislation. If this amendment were not passed, then approximately 1,000 owners involved in the federal scheme would receive a renewal notice and the charge would be at the rate of the regulation currently in force which is applying an old formula, and that old formula would impose a charge increase of something like 9.7 per cent. That is clearly unacceptable. Under a 9.7 per cent increase, the owner of a typical B-double vehicle would pay an additional $808 in registration charges. The Liberal and National parties agree that that is far too much.

We understand that state governments are now applying the 4.2 per cent figure. Obviously, the federal scheme should charge the same; otherwise, the federal scheme would collapse, being much more expensive. As I understand the law, there is no non-legislative option for remedying the problem; hence, we do agree with this legislation to ensure that the 4.2 per cent figure applies. In the other place, Mr Truss, who is the shadow transport minister, put forward a much clearer explanation of the bill and some of the reasons for supporting it. In view of the time constraints in the Senate, I will leave my support there; only to repeat that the coalition supports the legislation.

1:32 pm

Photo of Joe LudwigJoe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | | Hansard source

I thank Senator Ian Macdonald for his contribution and the support of the coalition. I commend the Interstate Road Transport Charge Amendment Bill 2010 to the Senate.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.