❓ Opposition asks about potential toll roads, particularly for trucks avoiding the Perth Freight Link. Minister clarifies the government is exploring a freight charge to recoup a percentage of costs for major infrastructure projects, aiming for a win-win for the trucking industry.
AnsweredQoN 460Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TOLL ROADS
460. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Minister for
Transport:
I refer to the minister's
comments last week during the estimates hearings in respect of proposing toll
roads to the rest of the state. He said that he did not want to rule out other
routes having a charge in the future.
(1) Has the
Department of Transport conducted any studies or modelling into potential
future toll road routes?
(2) How does the
minister plan to charge a toll on trucks that choose not to use the Perth
Freight Link, as he announced last week?
(3) When does the
minister plan to introduce the toll roads he referred to?
460. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Minister for
Transport:
I refer to the minister's
comments last week during the estimates hearings in respect of proposing toll
roads to the rest of the state. He said that he did not want to rule out other
routes having a charge in the future.
(1) Has the
Department of Transport conducted any studies or modelling into potential
future toll road routes?
(2) How does the
minister plan to charge a toll on trucks that choose not to use the Perth
Freight Link, as he announced last week?
(3) When does the
minister plan to introduce the toll roads he referred to?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) I
think I can clarify a couple of the quotes the member utilised, as he happened
to have shortened the sentence. We have talked about establishing a freight
charge with Freight Link from the outset, and it has been stated in all our
communications that we are looking at that. One of the ways that we are doing
that is by exploring the use of GPS technology so we can gather the correct
information, because we believe that would also provide accurate planning
information for the department so that we know the total movement of all trucks
throughout the state. The question that was posed last week was am I planning
to charge trucks that go on different routes, and I said that if a truck comes
out of the port and continues down Leach Highway, we may look at considering a
penalty. However, we are working to create a win–win situation for the
industry. That is what we talked about: creating a win–win for the
industry. We have done a lot of economic modelling to understand the time, fuel
and maintenance saved by trucks following this route. We are working on using a
percentage of those savings to help fund a part of the freeway—the
Perth Freight Link—that we are creating. Separate from what other
jurisdictions have done around Australia, in which they have sought 100 per
cent of the funding through a toll or a freight or a charge, we are looking
only to return a percentage. Another thing I have said is that we are looking
to defray this cost because we are creating three unbelievably great projects—Freight
Link, Gateway WA and NorthLink WA—which is pretty much an 84 or
85-kilometre freeway that will extend from the port all the way to Muchea. I
have said that we will look to defray that. The amount that we are looking to
cover by this charge actually accounts for about 15 to 20 per cent of the total
cost of the construction, which means that over 80 per cent of the cost of
construction is still being footed by the commonwealth and state governments.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Mr
D.C. NALDER : I sought clarity on the question I was asked on the night and
I said that I would not rule that out, but at the same time I would not want to
rule out anything if we can continue to provide benefits for the trucking
industry. As I said, we are working on delivering a win–win situation
for the industry. If we cannot get additional works done that provide financial
benefits for that industry, I would not want to rule out extending it. There is
no plan at this point in time for extending that any further—no plans
at all.
think I can clarify a couple of the quotes the member utilised, as he happened
to have shortened the sentence. We have talked about establishing a freight
charge with Freight Link from the outset, and it has been stated in all our
communications that we are looking at that. One of the ways that we are doing
that is by exploring the use of GPS technology so we can gather the correct
information, because we believe that would also provide accurate planning
information for the department so that we know the total movement of all trucks
throughout the state. The question that was posed last week was am I planning
to charge trucks that go on different routes, and I said that if a truck comes
out of the port and continues down Leach Highway, we may look at considering a
penalty. However, we are working to create a win–win situation for the
industry. That is what we talked about: creating a win–win for the
industry. We have done a lot of economic modelling to understand the time, fuel
and maintenance saved by trucks following this route. We are working on using a
percentage of those savings to help fund a part of the freeway—the
Perth Freight Link—that we are creating. Separate from what other
jurisdictions have done around Australia, in which they have sought 100 per
cent of the funding through a toll or a freight or a charge, we are looking
only to return a percentage. Another thing I have said is that we are looking
to defray this cost because we are creating three unbelievably great projects—Freight
Link, Gateway WA and NorthLink WA—which is pretty much an 84 or
85-kilometre freeway that will extend from the port all the way to Muchea. I
have said that we will look to defray that. The amount that we are looking to
cover by this charge actually accounts for about 15 to 20 per cent of the total
cost of the construction, which means that over 80 per cent of the cost of
construction is still being footed by the commonwealth and state governments.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Mr
D.C. NALDER : I sought clarity on the question I was asked on the night and
I said that I would not rule that out, but at the same time I would not want to
rule out anything if we can continue to provide benefits for the trucking
industry. As I said, we are working on delivering a win–win situation
for the industry. If we cannot get additional works done that provide financial
benefits for that industry, I would not want to rule out extending it. There is
no plan at this point in time for extending that any further—no plans
at all.
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