Roads Australia
An interview with Treasurer Wayne Swan in today’s Australian Financial Review makes it clear that the Government’s much anticipated investment in skills and infrastructure will be phased over future years.
The Fin Review says next Tuesday’s Budget will lay the platform for future investment, with the immediate priority being the tackling of inflation through measured spending cuts.
In other news, yesterday’s Fin Review reported that engineering work had experienced a softening in the past three months, as part of a general deterioration in building and construction activity.
Commenting on the latest AIG-HIA performance of construction index, the Fin Review said the results were further evidence that current interest rate policy and credit conditions were impacting on economic activity.
Economists quoted in the story were divided on where the sector was heading, with a BIS Shrapnel analyst saying overall construction activity was set to expand by around five percent this year.
The Daily Telegraph reported this week that $3 billion from the proceeds of the NSW Government’s controversial power sell-off will go towards funding the M4 East project. The Tele says the motorway will cost $7 billion to construct, with the balance to come from the private sector.
Today’s Fin Review reported that rising construction costs and the impact of the global credit crisis has cast doubts over the capacity of the private and public sectors to fund future toll road projects in Brisbane.
The Age this week reported that two separate government inquiries are set to call for the formation of a new metropolitan planning authority to guide Melbourne’s future development.
And today’s Age reported that an emissions trading scheme was likely to add about 10c a litre to the price of petrol.
The nation's transport ministers have agreed to put in place a single national registration and licensing scheme for Australia's 375,000 heavy vehicles by 1 July 2009.
Meeting in Melbourne last week, the Australian Transport Council (ATC) gave its in-principle support to A New Beginning for Transport, a national action plan for keeping people and freight moving.
As well as a national scheme for heavy vehicle registration and licensing, the action plan includes:
Speaking after the meeting, Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese described the national heavy vehicle registration and licencing scheme as “...good news for road safety because one in ten licence holders are truck drivers and this will ensure they all meet the same high qualification standards no matter where they live.
“It's also good news for business because it means they can move their goods around the country without the red tape and cost of eight different registration systems.
“During the meeting I indicated the Commonwealth's willingness to work with the states and territories to relieve urban congestion and improve public transport - building upon my announcement earlier this week that the Government will establish and resource a Major Cities Unit within my Department.”
Mr Albanese said ministers would do further detailed work on the action plan before submitting it to COAG.
The Victorian and Western Australian governments have outlined their road spending plans in their respective state budgets handed down this week.
The Victorian Government has committed $770 million to build new roads and improve the State’s existing network. Projects earmarked for funding included the M1 upgrade, duplication of the Princess Highway from Waurn Ponds to Winchelsea and the new duplicated section of the Western Highway from Melton to Bacchus Marsh.
The RACV says the Budget overall presents a balanced approach for the transport sector, targeting congestion on roads and public transport. However, the organisation says it's disappointed that construction of the Frankston Bypass did not make the final cut in the Budget.
For more information on the Victorian State Budget, go to www.budget.vic.gov.au/
The WA Government’s Budget foreshadows a $26.1 billion building program over the next four years, with $7.6 billion in 2008-09 that includes funding for new hospitals, schools, roads and ports as well as major upgrades to the electricity network and the new desalination plant.
Specifically, the Budget provides $810 million in 2008-09 for capital road works, with major projects including $246.3 million for the $705 million New Perth-Bunbury Highway.
For more information on the WA Budget, go to www.ourstatebudget.wa.gov.au/
Clearway times on busy Melbourne roads will be extended and more strictly enforced through tow-away zones under the Victorian Government’s new $112.7 million congestion plan, Keeping Melbourne Moving.
Premier John Brumby says the plan aims to ease congestion in the short term, while medium and longer term solutions, like major road upgrades and the purchase of new trains and trams, are underway.
The Keeping Melbourne Moving plan will standardise the more than 150 clearways within 10 kilometres of the Melbourne CBD from 6.30am to 10am and from 3pm to 7pm, helping traffic flows during peak traffic times. Clearways will also be more strictly enforced.
Also included in the plan is an extension of the tram and bus priority program, an extension of rapid response patrols to clear broken-down vehicles; a funding boost for cycling and pedestrian facilities, and an information campaign for motorists.
The plan has received the backing of ARF member, the Victorian Transport Association. VTA CEO, Philip Lovel, said this week other initiatives identified by the VTA, such as allowing more productive trucks on the road and encouraging freight operators to work around the clock, would complement the Government’s plan.
Mr Brumby has also announced changes within the Government’s Department of Infrastructure.
A new Department of Transport will be created from the Department of Infrastructure to deliver a stronger focus on the delivery of transport improvements, as new projects come on line to increase network capacity and meet the demands of record growth.
Mr Jim Betts, currently the Director of Public Transport, will be appointed Secretary of the new Department of Transport. Major Projects Victoria will now move to the Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development.
Brisbane’s new $333 million Inner Northern Busway will become operational on May 19.
The Busway was officially opened last weekend by Qld Premier Anna Bligh, alongside Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure Paul Lucas and Minister for Transport John Mickel.
"One of our biggest challenges is urban congestion,” Premier Bligh said.
"The INB will be a real congestion buster with commuters expected to save up to 20 minutes of travel time in peak hours and significantly reduce traffic in the CBD.”
Mr Mickel said thirty routes from all over Brisbane would start using the new section of the Inner Northern Busway and bus stops from more than 120 bus routes would change from May 19.
As part of its unique design, the INB features an underground station at King George Square with air conditioned busway platforms and concourse level, 24 hour security with cameras, real time information for bus travellers, a fully functional Cycle Centre with racks, change facilities and lockers, and a first-in-Australia interactive Transport Information Centre (TIC).
The Australian Logistics Council (ALC) has launched a mentoring program designed to encourage the greater involvement of women in the transport and logistics industries.
Twenty two women and their organisations are initially involved in the Moving Women Forward pilot project in south east Queensland.
ALC Program Director, Melinda Buker, says the project is a practical program to foster a partnership with females already in the industry and to pave the way for more to follow.
“The women in the pilot program represent a diverse range of organisations, both big and small, and show women can and are filling any role in T&L, from Network Controllers to Commercial Managers,” Ms Buker says.
“Over ten weeks these T&L professionals will take part in the My Mentor – Challenging Women To Step-up program to advance their skills and knowledge.”
On completion of the pilot, the ALC will examine the opportunity to rollout Moving Women Forward to the rest of the nation.
“In particular, I would like to thank Queensland Transport for their continued and ongoing support of the program,” Ms Buker said.
The following stories appear courtesy of World Highways.
Congestion-busting plan for Los Angeles
An innovative approach to transport planning is expected to cut traffic jams in the US city of Los Angeles. The Californian city is to receive some US$213 million from the US Government in federal Congestion Reduction grants.
The city is known for its traffic problems and under the plans, some 136km (85miles) of existing high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes will be converted into high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes by 2010. The roads will have electronic tolling technology to allow drivers to pay a fee for access to less-congested lanes. Sophisticated sensors will monitor the region’s freeways and adjust fares for the lanes based on traffic levels. US Secretary of Transportation, Mary Peters explained that the federal funds would help finance new bus service to run on the HOT lanes.
Experience and data show that HOT lanes lead to better traffic on other parallel highway lanes as well. As a result, commuters using any of the highways with HOT lanes will experience faster, more reliable trips. In addition, revenue generated by the new HOT lane tolls will be made available for investments in improved transit services throughout the region.
Online transport debate
The International Transport Forum has launched its second online debate on “The Transport Sector and Climate Change” in preparation for its upcoming Forum to be held in Leipzig on 28-30 May.
The Forum web debate has been launched to encourage public input to the discussions in Leipzig. Input from the online debate and the best questions and comments will be brought to the attention of delegates and Ministers at the Forum.
The Forum’s new debate has been created with the purpose of stimulating suggestions, discussion and opinion from both experts and others. Questions open for debate concern aims and objectives that Ministers should have for the transport sector, the role of technology in reducing transport CO2 emissions, how best technology can be introduced and what transport policy measures Ministers should consider.
To participate in the debate and for more information on the above Forum and how to attend see www.internationaltransportforum.org
World-beating Chinese bridge open for traffic
The longest sea bridge in the world has now opened for traffic in China. Stretching some 36km, the new bridge has been built as part of a plan to boost economic integration and development in the Yangtze River Delta, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
The challenges set by the project have led to over 250 technological innovations and engineering breakthroughs. The complicated climate conditions in Hangzhou Bay made the construction one of the most difficult in the world. The project has also survived 19 major challenges, including typhoons, sea tides and geological problems, during construction.
Although it is slightly shorter than the 38.4km bridge across Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans, the world's longest water-spanning structure, this new bridge has set engineering standards due to the difficulties imposed by its location.
For more road news from around the world, visit the World Highways website.
Submitted by Mark Bowmer on Friday May 9th 2008 1:45pm
© 2008 Roads Australia. Roads Australia does not warrant, guarantee or make any representations regarding the currency, accuracy, correctness, reliability, useability, or any other aspect, of the material presented in Roads Australia Insider, nor of material provided by others to Roads Australia and presented in this newsletter, nor of material provided by others and accessed from this site using links or connections to their Web sites or distribution services. The user accepts sole responsibility and all risk for using material presented on or accessed from Roads Australia Insider. Roads Australia does not accept any liability for any loss or damage which may be incurred as a result of using Roads Australia Insider or any material presented in or accessed from Roads Australia Insider.