Railways, road transport cry out for national regulation
The railways and the trucking industry have each independently urged Australia’s transport ministers to endorse the framework for the proposed national heavy vehicle regulator and regulations, and a national rail regulator, when they meet on Friday, 6 November.
The railways’ case: ARA
This Friday 6 November, Australia’s Transport Ministers will find themselves at the crossroads of history – do they support the creation of one single national rail safety regulator, or leave rail safety regulation out in the cold, and keep seven state regulators?
Will they decide that the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) must support critical nation-building micro-economic reform – or will this be the moment they drop the ball and fail to advocate the reform to rail that Australia needs now – for the good of the environment, for better safety and for less road congestion?
Make no mistake, failure to make the right decision now will ensure this group of ministers will be remembered in history for all the wrong reasons.
Earlier this year, COAG approved the creation of a National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, as well as a single national Maritime Safety Regulator.
The Premiers took the right decision to create the essential regulatory environment within which these two transport modes can develop to meet the needs of Australia.
Yet, in the same breath, those same Premiers could not overcome their resistance to change - just as their forbears failed to do at the turn of the 20th century, with the retention of different railway gauges right across Australia.
“COAG approved both heavy vehicle and maritime single national safety regulators – a good result. But at the same time, and in stark contrast with rail as the competing mode for freight transport, Premiers delivered a rubbery non-decision that talked about a “national rail safety regulatory system.” said Bryan Nye CEO of the Australasian Railway Association.
“This was all about a solution to appease some of the states, rather than what Australia needs to underpin the massive future freight and passenger task in this country” said Mr Nye.
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