Heavy Vehicle Charges Decided for 2014 – 15

The Australian Transport and Infrastructure Council have today announced heavy vehicle charges to commence from 1 July 2014 (or as soon as practical thereafter).

Transport Ministers have agreed to increase registration charges (including FIRS) by 1.3%. The current rate of Road User Charge (RUC) will be maintained at 26.14 cents per litre.

The decision is against the independent and objective advice of the National Transport Commission (NTC) which recommended that registration charges be decreased on average by 6.3% and the RUC reduced by 1.14 cents per litre.

Technical amendments recommended by the NTC will not be considered for implementation until at least 1 July 2016. Governments have argued that a delay in the implementation of NTC recommendations is necessary to maintain the quality of roads and services delivered to the community.

According to NTC modelling, the decision announced today will continue to overcharge operators by more than $200m annually, or by around half a billion leading to 2016.

The ALRTA is carefully considering the implications of the decision in the current budgetary context and we will be sure to make our views known to Ministers in the lead up to the Ministerial Council meeting on 23 May 2014.

You can read the official Ministerial Council Communique at: http://www.transportinfrastructurecouncil.gov.au/communique/