View the feedback we have received on the Heavy vehicle charges consultation report paper.

• q1

  Road transport operators are already struggling with rising costs within their businesses, with customers having limited tolerance for further increases in freight rates. We recognise roads need repairing and upgrading with appropriate funding from Users, but as an interstate truck driver, along with my collegues, we see a serious lack of value for money. An increase of 3% would be less of an impact to business and lessen the impact on current inflationary pressures. Small business and medium road transport businesses are already liquidating equipment and closing decades old operations down. They are Extracting any remaining equity and exiting the industry before they go broke. There is a serious disconnect between what is a fair cost of freight services and what customers are prepared to pay. The sustainability of the freight industry relies heavily on Sub Contractors, who are often small business owners with a limited ability to negotiate higher freight rates. Any further increases in fixed costs to their business, will only undermine the sustainability of these remaining operators. The squeeze on small business must be restrained or we will risk pushing this sector deeper into crisis. Further funding should be sort from within the tendering process as to seek out better efficiencies from the road construction sector….The road users see with their own eyes, good money spent on a continual failure of some sections of roads, even before the oroject has been completed. The supply of Road construction materials also could be source of savings, if there was a reduction in the use of Private suppliers.

• q2

  10% is far in excess of any CPI numbers being presented by the ABS. Business and consumers are being stretched to the limits of already with the current inflationary pressures coming from every direction. These cost increases must eventually be passed on to consumers. Government must recognise the National Land Transport network as a vital piece of Infrastructure, which can be partially funded by a re-evaluation of sources of funding for Treasury.