As part of the Australian Government’s response to Infrastructure Australia’s Australian Infrastructure Plan, and in line with with the Transport and Infrastructure Council’s Heavy Vehicle Road Reform Road Map, the Department is now seeking public and industry views on options for independent price regulation of heavy vehicle charges.

Independent price regulation is a critical step in the Government’s heavy vehicle road reform agenda. It will provide the basis for a pricing system in which:

• decisions on heavy vehicle charges are made at arm’s length from government;
• the reasons and evidence for pricing decisions by the independent regulator are readily available and transparent; and
• pricing decisions by the independent regulator are binding on governments.

The discussion paper proposes three options for which entity could take responsibility for independent price regulation. The Australian Government is seeking input from stakeholders on the merits of independent price regulation and which organisation would be best placed to carry out this task. Further details background and explanation of independent price regulation for heavy vehicle charges are set out in the discussion paper. The views of industry, the general public and governments will be critical to how these reforms take shape.

The Department invites comments on the discussion paper by close of business on Friday, 14 July 2017.