Executive Director Update
Common Sense Prevails: Government Scraps Rural Speed Reduction Proposal
This week the Federal Government made the right call in scrapping the proposal to reduce default speed limits on unsigned rural roads, following more than 11,000 public submissions.
For rural communities and transport operators, the message was clear: blanket speed changes were never a real safety solution.
Even Senator Glenn Sterle labelled the idea “rubbish” and “stupidity,” reflecting widespread frustration that the proposal targeted drivers instead of confronting the real issue — the condition of our rural road and bridge network.
ALRTA welcomes the decision. It is a recognition that practical, on-the-ground investment, not speed-limit tinkering, delivers genuine safety outcomes.
As ALRTA President Gerard Johnson said this week: “Scrapping this proposal is common sense. If we want safer roads, we need to invest in them.
“If we lose our people, we lose our capacity — and that’s a sovereign risk for Australia.”
Investment Done Right: Beef Roads, Bruce Highway Upgrades and Bridge Improvements
If governments want to improve safety, productivity and emissions outcomes, the answer isn’t lower speed limits — it’s better roads, stronger bridges and resilient freight corridors.
Two major investments now underway highlight exactly what works:
$500 Million Beef Roads Program – Construction Now Commencing
Work is now underway across priority segments of Queensland’s Beef Roads network - a critical freight artery for Australia’s cattle industry.
Upgraded cattle routes mean:
These are the kinds of projects that reduce crashes, lift productivity and support agriculture, all while contributing to Australia’s broader emissions-reduction goals.
Bruce Highway Upgrades – Strengthening a National Lifeline
Ongoing investment along the Bruce Highway is another positive example.
Improvements in lanes, intersections and flood immunity directly support:
Bridge Upgrades – Unlocking Productivity Safely
Road safety isn’t only about the pavement.
Bridge capacity is one of the biggest freight constraints in regional Australia. Investment in bridge strengthening, replacement and higher mass limits unlocks:
These are the kinds of initiatives that deliver real, measurable safety outcomes and help Australia move toward its net-zero objectives without undermining freight efficiency.
Where the Equation Breaks: What We Pay vs. What Is Delivered
To have an honest national conversation about safety, we must look at the numbers.
Heavy vehicles contribute billions
Through the Road User Charge and registration fees, heavy vehicles already contribute several billion dollars every year.
With another 6% increase proposed next year, industry contributions will rise again.
The NTC estimates the “heavy vehicle cost base” at $6.3 billion - but this figure:
States are not delivering those standards
In real terms, states are falling dramatically short of their own engineering requirements. States themselves acknowledge they must invest around 12–15% of their networks annually - just to stand still.
Between routine resealing (7–8%) and pavement rehabilitation (1.7–2%), plus shoulder, drainage and structural upkeep, state engineering guidelines are clear about what it takes to maintain a safe, serviceable network.
Yet very few jurisdictions even come close to meeting these benchmarks. Victoria, for example, is now delivering barely 1–2%, a fraction of its own engineering requirement - a gap so large it virtually guarantees accelerating road failure. This is not an industry accusation; it is a government-determined standard that governments are not meeting.
Imagine if the transport industry did that in regard to a regulatory safety requirement like fatigue management.
In real terms:
In other words:
Heavy vehicles are being charged for maintenance and renewal that governments are not actually delivering.
The real gap is not between what we pay and what roads cost.
The real gap is between revenue collected and infrastructure delivered.
The Productivity and Emissions Challenge
Modern, well-maintained roads and bridges are not just a safety issue - they are a productivity and emissions issue.
Poor roads:
Better roads and bridges:
If governments are serious about emissions reduction - heavy vehicles are not the problem.
Under-investment in road and bridge infrastructure is.
The Path Forward: Use What We Pay to Build What We Need
The decision to drop the rural speed-limit proposal was sensible and welcomed.
The next step must be a renewed national focus on:
ALRTA’s message is clear:
✔ We support real safety improvements.
✔ We support investment in rural roads and bridges.
✔ We are willing to pay our fair share.
But…
We expect the money we pay to be invested in the infrastructure we rely on.
Beef Roads and Bruce Highway works show what governments can achieve when investment aligns with real industry needs, and we thank them for this contribution.
We also now encourage them to apply that same focus across the entire regional network - because that is how we improve safety, productivity, and emissions performance together.
Until next week, stay safe.
Anthony
Together, we are stronger.