Media Release: Working with the heavy vehicle industry to improve our freight networks

The heavy-vehicle industry is invited to submit proposals on how best to trial a user-pays system for delivering the road infrastructure needed to improve freight networks.

The Business Case Program for Location-Specific Heavy Vehicle Charging Trials opens today, seeking industry-driven proposals on how best to trial a system designed to fund upgrades to the road freight network and elimate pinch points.

Road freight is the engine of our economy and roads are our most valuable infrastructure asset.

Australia has 874,000 kilometres of roads and our exports, imports, domestic deliveries, e-commerce and many jobs, rely on ensuring that this vast network runs as efficiently as possible. 

This Business Case Program puts stakeholders connected to the heavy vehicle industry at the centre of the infrastructure planning process.

We are inviting heavy vehicle operators to explore how they can help improve a particular route or network by paying a fair and equitable user charge. We would like to work with them to develop a business case to test the value proposition for all stakeholders.

Work is also progressing with industry on designing options to trial the possible replacement of heavy vehicle registration fees and fuel charges at the national level, through a related initiative – the National Heavy Vehicle Charging Pilot.

A range of stakeholders connected to the road freight sector are eligible to submit a proposal to develop a business case by 21 September 2018.

For more information on how to submit a proposal visit: https://infrastructure.gov.au/roads/heavy/charging-trials/business-case.aspx