Australian Local Government Association

Local government to consider historic transport strategy

National Local Roads and Transport Congress

Alice Springs: July 10-11, 2006

More than 400 delegates from councils across Australia will meet in Alice Springs on July 10-11 to consider an historic national local government roads and transport strategy.

Consideration of the strategy will be a major focus of the 7th National Local Roads and Transport Congress, convened by the Australian Local Government Association at the Alice Springs Convention Centre.

The strategy would be a first for local government, providing a plan that sets out the national road and transport needs and priorities for communities across the country.

• The draft strategy focuses on four core areas of concern to local government:
• Local road network funding and management
• Urban transport solutions
• Mobility for regional Australians
• Freight management

ALGA President, Cr Paul Bell, said action was needed by all three spheres of government to address the transport problems confronting Australia's 700 local government authorities and the communities they serve.

"We need a strategic plan behind which local government can rally - a plan that will take us forward, addressing the problems and difficulties confronting all communities, from our inner cities to remote communities," Cr Bell said.

"These problems include the need for long-term funding certainty for local roads, lack of access to transport services in regional areas, the impact of congestion, noise and pollution on urban amenity and the need to better manage the rapidly increasing freight loads carried through our cities and towns.

"The Australian Government has provided substantial additional assistance to local government over recent years to address the backlog of maintenance work on local roads, particularly through the much-needed and much-welcomed Roads to Recovery program.

"But local government needs to look beyond the current phase of the Roads to Recovery program and seek long-term financial sustainability for our roads and new partnerships to assist with regional and urban transport issues.

"The strategy seeks to carry our transport agenda forward over the coming decade and assist ALGA with its lobbying work in advance of the 2007 federal election," Cr Bell said.

Delegates to the 2005 Roads and Transport Congress in Launceston asked that a national local government roads and transport strategy be prepared for consideration by delegates in Alice Springs.

Local government maintains 680,000km of roads and related infrastructure, such as bridges and culverts - a $75bn asset. This comprises about 85% of all Australian roads.

Further Congress details: www.alga.asn.au/roadscongress

Congress highlights

Speakers in the concurrent sessions include:

• Mr Michael Apps: Executive Director, Bus Industry Confederation
• Mr Tim Eaton: General Manager Safety and Environment, National Transport Commission
• Mr John Howard: Director Asset Management, Jeff Roorda and Associates
• Mr Lauchlan McIntosh: Executive Director, Australian Automobile Association
• Mr Barry Moore: Director Policy, National Transport Commission
• Mr Leslie Riggs: Executive Director, AusLink, Dept of Transport and Regional Services
• Mr Stuart St Clair: Chief Executive, Australian Trucking Association
• Mr Peter Way PSM: Director of City Works, Logan City Council

Contact

Cr Paul Bell AM, ALGA President - 0418 791 596

Rohan Greenland, ALGA Public Affairs - 0412 85 9434 / 02 6122 9434