It’s been just over a month since the Queensland election was held, with the previous Labor government making way for the new Liberal National leaders. While it so far hasn’t led to major changes in the transport industry, Queensland Trucking Association (QTA) CEO Gary Mahon is looking to see what will change in the new year with a new government at the helm.
“While we have had a big win recently at a federal level through the commitment made to fund the Inland Freight Route, we are now looking towards the state government to help us deliver more needs,” Mahon told OwnerDriver.
“As always, a big focus for us is in infrastructure and capital investment for roads and bridges that need updating. While two bridges are being built for the Inland Freight Route as we speak, we will always remain focused on the Bruce Highway, which is a fundamental spine of the state’s road freight network.”
With larger combinations looking to expand their operations down the regions where the Inland Freight Route will pass, Mahon is hoping the accelerated works will soon accommodate these vehicles. If so, they’ll take the heat off the Bruce Highway, which is continuing to see hordes of heavy vehicle traffic each and every day.
A recent spate of accidents along the Bruce is heightening that tension, with Mahon hoping the state government will re-work its funding principle model for roadworks to ensure the major highway receives the important safety upgrades required.
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“I’ve been around long enough to remember when the state government used to fully fund number one highways, but now it’s moved fully funded to an 80:20 share, and now a 50:50 share in a period of about 20 years,” he says.
“There’s no secret what is needed in this space – we don’t have enough capital to make these investments in the near future – currently the Bruce receives about a billion dollars per year to spend over a road that stretches roughly 1,600 kilometres.
“When you spend at that rate, you get solutions like the Gympie Bypass, which, although it’s a nice section of road for 62 kilometres, it took 15 years to complete.
“The state government needs to know that we need more overtaking lanes, bridge width changes, centreline markings and rest areas on the Bruce.”
In a reasonable response, Mahon is calling for the new Queensland government to up the budget provided to Bruce Highway projects to roughly $2.5 billion per year. As the Bruce is a number one highway, Mahon’s goal is to see the road receive the love and attention that other major routes in other states and territories do.
“The funding needs to be changed back to an 80:20 balance to bring safer road operations and greater benefits when it comes to productivity, connectivity and the efficiency of freight movements,” Mahon says.
“The new premier, David Crisafulli, has argued that he’ll do his best to return to an 80:20 funding model, which is ok on its own, but we also need to raise the amount of money funded into these projects too.”
Mahon is continuing to try engage with the new government to see what level of support transport industry initiatives will receive. One of these projects he’s hoping for continued support on is the Queensland heavy vehicle apprenticeship that’s in place. With governments committing to funding fee-free TAFE apprenticeships, another issue high on Mahon’s state government wish list is to see the heavy vehicle apprenticeship included in this funding band.
“Currently the funding has to be provided fully by employers or employees – I argue that the government needs to do better than this to give employers assistance to carry the costs of an apprentice,” Mahon says.
“For kids looking to enter our industry nowadays, a driver’s licence isn’t enough of a qualification to receive. They need formal qualifications that recognise the comprehensive set of skills needed to be a driver.
“A lot of industries are competing for talent, and if we don’t get organised as an industry to embrace formal qualifications then we’ll be left behind.”
The one move seen from the Queensland government in the aftermath of the state election was the re-establishment of the Bruce Highway Advisory Council, with the government calling for regional representatives to nominate to be part of the body.
On top of this, Mahon wants members of the council to be advocates who continue pushing the agenda for the Bruce Highway upgrade.
“We know where the bad bridges are and where the narrow pavements and lack of overtaking lanes sit, so we need to find this additional funding to get it done in a more timely manner,” he says.
“We’re concerned about the spate of accidents happening on this road and the pattern of behaviour that seems to have crept into driving on this road. Our general message is we need to be patient when on the roads, so I hope the government comes to the party in helping drive down incidents on the Bruce.”
When it comes to wider industry issues, Mahon has slammed the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) review, calling it “pathetic”.
“It’s a disgrace to even use the word ‘reform’ and ‘HVNL’ in the same sentence – it’s been said for ages now that productivity reform is essential to our future,” he says.
“We’ve had no real reform since the ‘90s. We need reform that is meaningful and makes measurable changes to breathe some fresh air into an industry that has had the handbrake applied tighter over the past 15 years.”
Overall, it’s clear that Mahon’s message for the new state government in Queensland is to make real changes for the transport industry as quickly as possible. Whether it be providing more funding for the Bruce and the Inland Freight Route or focusing on valuable productivity and safety changes in the HVNL review, Mahon has no shortage of ideas he wishes to discuss with the new Queensland government.
“All of this is basic principle that should and could be followed by a state government,” he says.
“Questions need to be asked, so we encourage the new Queensland government to take those questions to the table to bring about some change for our industry.”
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