The acceleration of the Rudd Government’s infrastructure plans has dominated national reporting of yesterday’s COAG meeting.
The Australian said the decision to advance the timetable for Infrastructure Australia’s interim priority list and ‘unlock the nation’s $20 billion infrastructure fund’ was an attempt to head off the impact of the looming world financial crisis - a theme echoed in the reporting of the Age, the Australian Financial Review and the SMH.
The Fin Review’s story included comments by Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, saying infrastructure investment was crucial and his government would probably allocate more funding in future budgets.
The SMH said Sydney was likely to derive substantial benefits from any early allocation of funding, given the poor state of its road and rail infrastructure.
Earlier in the week, Victorian Premier John Brumby told the Age the financial crisis would make it harder to attract new private investors to deliver much-needed infrastructure, including roads, for his State.
In other news, the SMH has reported on the growing success of Sydney’s toll roads, citing more than $685 million in toll fees paid by motorists last financial year on six of the city’s nine toll roads for which figures are available.
In Melbourne, the Age says a number of Councils are set to defy the State Government’s congestion busting clearway changes by refusing to change local street signs.
And the Herald Sun has reported on one local council’s idea to reduce the number of cars on the road - a car-sharing scheme that would enable residents to borrow a car for a few hours at a time.
Infrastructure Australia has been asked by the Commonwealth Government to table an interim national infrastructure priority list by the end of this year.
IA’s original timetable was to deliver its first national priority list at the meeting of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) next March.
However, following yesterday’s COAG meeting in Perth it was announced that an interim list, alongside the results of the national infrastructure audit, would be delivered by the end of this year.
COAG also called for a detailed national PPP guidelines package to be finalised and submitted to its meeting next month.
Yesterday’s decision came against the backdrop of the world financial crisis, with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd telling a media conference it was a time for all governments to co-operate in Australia’s economic interest.
Mr Rudd said the nation had suffered in the past from the lack of a nationally consistent set of guidelines for Private Public Partnerships (PPPs).
“COAG agreed today that we will have such nationally consistent guidelines and we’ve agreed that those guidelines will be adopted by year’s end,” he said.
Mr Rudd said the decision by the Commonwealth to bring forward interim audit and priority reports from Infrastructure Australia was important because of the outstanding infrastructure needs of the nation.
“The Australian Government has for the first time in many decades decided to take a leading role in laying out the nation’s future infrastructure, and we intend to do so in close collaboration with the states.
The decision we’ve taken to have nationally consistent PPP guidelines will help the private sector be partners with us into the future as well.”
To view the communique from yesterday's COAG meeting, click here.
New heavy vehicle driver fatigue laws came into effect last month in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
The long-awaited reform targets the root cause of driver fatigue, rather than simply regulating hours, with operators who work long hours and night shifts required to reduce driver fatigue risks through an audited accreditation scheme.
The reform also makes all parties in the supply chain legally responsible for preventing driver fatigue.
National Transport Commission (NTC) Chief Executive, Nick Dimopoulos, has praised the efforts of industry, unions and governments in preparing for the new laws.
“Australia’s Transport Ministers showed strong leadership in approving this reform, which will deliver significant safety benefits for heavy vehicle drivers and the community,” he said.
“Our professional truck and bus drivers will be healthier, better rested and trained in managing fatigue risks, meaning the risk of heavy vehicle crashes is greatly reduced.
“Industry and unions have thrown their support behind the new laws. Their proactive approach to the development of this national reform has been crucial in ensuring we got it right.”
Mr Dimopoulos said states and territories had done a good job in communicating the reform to industry through road shows and forums and coordinating implementation on a common date.
However, the Victorian Transport Association (VTA), while fundamentally supporting the intent of the new laws, says sufficient time hasn’t been allowed for proper preparation and implementation by the industry.
“In future, give industry at least nine to 12 months ‘clean air’ to plan for and implement the reform after governments have signed off on the legislative and administrative changes, particularly when there are multifaceted issues involving people, changes to operational and administrative systems, and training,” said VTA Chief Executive, Philip Lovel.
For more information on the reform package, go to the NTC website.
Participants at this week’s Roads Australia Forum in Brisbane were given a first-hand ministerial briefing on the role Main Roads is playing in helping to deliver the State Government’s bold 10-year vision for Queensland.
Some 150 road industry leaders attended the Forum at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Forum speakers included the Director-General of Queensland Main Roads, Alan Tesch, and Main Roads Minister, Warren Pitt.
In his lunch address, Mr Pitt told attendees that Main Roads had a key role to play in helping to realise the Queensland Government's recently announced vision for the state for the next 10 years and beyond – Towards Q2: Tomorrow's Queensland.
He said the Department's record infrastructure program - $16.2 billion between 2008-09 and 2012-13 – would contribute significantly to the strength of Queensland and its economy.
“Projects currently underway – such as the Ipswich Motorway upgrade, the Centenary Highway extension, the Gateway Motorway Upgrade and projects on the Sunshine Motorway – cater for both current and future growth,” Mr Pitt said.
“One of the government's key strategic priorities is managing the impact of urban traffic growth.
“Of course, work in this area results not only in improved travel time reliability but also in reduced carbon emissions and improved lifestyles for commuters.”
Mr Pitt also stressed the emphasis both he and the Department placed on the need to engage closely with stakeholders.
“With a roads program that has more than tripled over the last decade, Main Roads is well aware that it cannot undertake the task of delivering Queensland's road infrastructure by itself,” he said.
“Relationships and links with key industry stakeholders help the department build capacity and…deliver road infrastructure more efficiently.
“Main Roads continues to refine the way it goes about its business through developing capabilities in alternative contracting methods – most notably alliancing and Early Contractor Involvement (ECI).
“Where alternative methods are seen to deliver the best results, Main Roads will use them.”
Other speakers at this week’s Forum included Damon Roast from BIS Shrapnel, who delivered an economic outlook for the roads industry; and Michael Roth from the RACQ and Ian Bennetts from Brisbane City Council, who each provided key stakeholder perspectives.
Tenders have been called for a Planning Study for Adelaide’s South Road Upgrade, Grand Junction Road to Port River Expressway.
The upgrade will create a non-stop two kilometre long corridor utilising grade separation at South Terrace, the Wingfield railway line, Cormack Road and Grand Junction Road. It will run along the existing alignment of South Road.
The Federal Government’s funding of the planning study is part of the $12.6 million committed in the May 2008 Federal Budget for planning work on South Road.
South Australian Minister for Transport, Patrick Conlon, said South Road was one of the most important components of the road transport system in metropolitan Adelaide.
“This link provides connections to the major intermodal transport hubs of Adelaide Airport, Port Adelaide, Outer Harbor and the Islington Rail Terminal, as well as providing access to the bulk of Adelaide’s industry activity in the north west section,” Mr Conlon said.
“An efficient non stop north-south corridor is crucial for freight and the economy.”
The Request for Tender published last month includes provision of planning, environmental impact assessment, community involvement and concept design services.
The $172.4 million Bruce Highway flood immunity works at Tully, in far north Queensland, are on track for early completion next year.
A four-kilometre section, which includes the new Tully River Bridge, was opened to motorists this week, bringing the full total of the works opened early to traffic to 10 kilometres.
Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister, Anthony Albanese, said the works undertaken at Tully were the largest flood immunity project funded by the Australian Government.
“The Tully project is on track for completion in early 2009; well ahead of the originally scheduled December 2010 finish date,” Mr Albanese said.
Brisbane’s $1.88 billion Gateway Upgrade Project passed two significant milestones last month. The project passed $1 billion in expenditure in September, coinciding with the second anniversary of the signing of contract documents on 26 September 2006.
“Construction activity on the project has now reached its peak along the 20-kilometre corridor extending from Mt Gravatt-Capalaba Road to Nudgee Road,” said Queensland Main Roads Minister, Warren Pitt.
“In mid 2010 we will open the second Gateway Bridge to provide six southbound lanes, followed by approximately six months of works to refurbish the existing Gateway Bridge, with three northbound lanes remaining open.
“While we are now about halfway through the project schedule and have spent $1 billion on the project delivery, there is still much work to be done to complete this vital road and infrastructure project for Queenslanders in mid 2011.”
An eight kilometre section of the Hume Highway duplication project in southern NSW is set to be opened later this month.
Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister, Anthony Albanese, has announced that the northbound carriageway of the Little Billabong section will open to traffic by the end of October.
"The opening of this section will be the next major milestone in the $800 million Hume Highway duplication project," Mr Albanese said.
"Once the northbound carriageway is open, work will get underway on the final part of the Little Billabong section which is expected to be complete by mid 2009.
"All up, work is currently underway on over 80 kilometres of the Hume Highway in southern NSW. Once complete, the upgrade will provide a safer, four-lane road for the 34,000 cars and 6,000 trucks that use the Highway everyday.
The current works on the Hume include construction of five sections of dual carriageway:
Last month the Minister announced the preferred routes for the bypasses of Tarcutta, Holbrook and Woomargama, allowing planning on these final links to get underway.
Submitted by Mark Bowmer on Friday October 3rd 2008 3:06pm
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