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Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese has introduced a national land transport amendment bill to enhance road safety and local road infrastructure.
The AusLink Amendment Bill 2008 redefined the definition of a road to include heavy vehicle facilities such as rest areas, parking bays, decoupling facilities and electronic monitoring systems.
“This will enable the Government to provide funding for these facilities under our $70 million heavy vehicle safety and productivity package,” Mr Albanese said.
He said the bill came after extensive consultation with peak bodies including the Australian Trucking Association, Australian Livestock Transporters Association and NatRoads to identify the agendas that need to be pushed harder.
“One in five road deaths involve heavy vehicles, with speed and fatigue being significant contributing factors. In 2007, there were over 200 road deaths in Australia involving heavy vehicles,” he said.
“The facilities that will be delivered under the heavy vehicle safety and productivity package will improve road safety and provide a better deal for truckies.”
Mr Albanese said the bill will also extend the existing ‘Roads to Recovery’ program, which will end on 30 June 2009, by lifting the allocated funding from $300 million to $350 million per year.
He said the increased funding support and government investment would enable local councils across Australia to conduct road repairs and upgrades expediently.
“Local governments are responsible for more than three quarters of all Australian roads, over 810,000 km.
“The continuation of this program means that local government can confidently plan for the continued improvements of their road network,” Mr Albanese said.
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