In opening this year’s National Local Roads and Transport Congress, President of the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), Councillor Paul Bell, said the recent Newcastle floods highlight the importance of infrastructure maintenance. Staged in Newcastle from 8–10 July, the theme of this year’s conference was ‘Vote 1 Roads and Transport: Delivering on the Local Government strategy’.
With the floods resulting in a road collapsing on the Central Coast, and the tragic loss of live, Paul Bell said that this highlights the importance of our road infrastructure for individuals and communities.
“The need for Federal funding for our local roads was the driver of our first Congress held in 2000 in Moree and is still the main purpose today,” Councillor Bell said. “Our focus in this Congress has, quite properly over time, expanded beyond roads and now extends to all areas of transport of interest to Local Government.
“We have a full agenda over the next two days, and we will hear from both the Government and the Opposition on their policies. It is also important that at the end of these two days we have clearly articulated our position on local roads and transport so that ALGA can strongly and persuasively make the case during this election year for Local Government.”
Paul Bell said since the inaugural Roads Congress, Local Government has successfully achieved a total commitment of more than
$5.2 billion from the Federal Government, under the Roads to Recovery through to 2014. There has also been additional funding through the AusLink Strategic Regional program and Blackspot program.
“While this is a significant achievement, Local Government must maintain its pressure on the Government to ensure it does not back away from its commitment,” Paul Bell said.
The President urged all delegates to continue the drive for funding within their own communities.
“In good economic times, we need to invest heavily in our roads,” he said. “But we also need to relay the message of this Congress to our communities and local MPs so they can communicate our needs to the Government.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport and Regional Services, Mark Vaile, said we need to make our existing infrastructure more productive, because the amount of freight on Australia’s transport system is forecast to double by 2019. He said that under the Federal Government’s AusLink 2 there will be new investment in regional Australia to address this.
“Although these roads don’t carry the density of the population, their geographic responsibility is enormous,” he said. “Two thirds of our country’s export income is generated from regional Australia’s resources and agriculture. We therefore need reliable transport links to transport goods to export ports, allowing us to compete more effectively in international markets.”
He said that under AusLink 2, a new management process will be implemented to eliminate cost blowouts for projects managed by State and Territory Governments.
“When projects exceed their budget, additional funds are taken away from other projects,” Mark Vaile said. “We will now be more involved in cost estimates to make sure they are robust and reliant. The State and Territory Governments will also have to contribute to new projects and share in the risks.”
He said that shared responsibility provides a strong incentive to get costs right from the start. This will ensure money is well spent and taxpayers get value for their money.
Mark Vaile said the Government invests heavily through Local Government because it is the best entity to get money spent with work on the ground in communities as soon as possible.
“While we are running one of the most prosperous economies in the world, we need to continue
our investment in infrastructure,” he said. “We will continue to give confidence to Local Government through support and recognition of its importance and ability to make investments in local road networks.”
Also speaking at the conference was Shadow Minister for Local Government, Senator Kate Lundy. She said that a Rudd Government will be committed to localism.
“To achieve a sustainable future for Australia, localism is the key for all portfolios – not just transport and roads,” she said. “A Rudd Government would also see a continuing commitment to the Roads to Recovery program, and an expansion to encompass other transport infrastructure, such as buses and ferries.”
Other papers delivered and Congress outcomes are available at www.alga.asn.au
