WAYNE PATCH
Chairman | Bus Industry Confederation
SPEAKING NOTES - 2013 ANNUAL BUS INDUSTRY DINNER
Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the 2013 Bus Industry Annual Dinner and the launch of a very
important report by the Moving People 2030 Taskforce. Before I begin I would like to recognise our
distinguished guests:
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Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, the Hon Anthony Albanese MP
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Hon Warren Truss MP – Shadow Minister for Transport and leader of the Nationals
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Senator Lee Rhiannon, Senator for NSW and Greens Transport Spokesperson
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Mike Mrdak, Secretary of the Commonwealth Department of Infrastructure and Transport
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Dorte Ekelund, Executive Director Major Cities Unit and of course
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All of the representatives of our Moving People 2030 Taskforce partners here tonight
Albo you have done a great job as Minister.
Your Government has done more than any other in the history of Australia to recognise the challenges
that face Australian cities and the role public transport has to play in making the knowledge centres and
drivers of our economy, our cities, less congested and liveable.
The current Government is on the right track but more needs to be done and the launch of the Moving
Australia 2030: A Transport Plan for a Productive and Active Australia report tonight is the next stage,
the next step, the opportunity for all political parties to announce and deliver a plan, policies and
programs that will manage the issues of population growth and an ageing population, traffic congestion,
environmental challenges and the liveability of our cities and regions into the future.
The Taskforce report makes a wide range of recommendations, but the key recommendation of the
report in my view is the need for a specific Minister and portfolio that puts the national government at
the head of how we plan our cities and regions.
This is a portfolio across policy areas and jurisdictions, this is a portfolio about how we manage our land
use and to make sure an integrated approach to transport and land use planning underpins the future of
our cities and regions, their liveability and the retention of living standards that make Australia what it
is.
We are not trying to do you out of a job Albo. Transport and Infrastructure alone is a massive portfolio,
let alone picking up the planning and urban issues that you have begun to do since the ALP has been in
Government. The work you have done in this previously barren policy space for Federal Governments
has been groundbreaking but the task is too big for one Minister,
The Federal Department of Infrastructure and Transport’s 2012 State of Our Cites Report highlights that
Governance is a key challenge for the nation and the future of our cities.
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The COAG Reform Council review of Capital City Strategic Planning Systems highlighted the need
for intergovernmental co-operation on cities issues to help all levels of government implement
effective strategic planning systems.
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The Infrastructure Finance and Funding Reform report stressed the importance of improved
planning, a deeper pipeline of projects and funding reform.
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The Productivity Commission national study of the regulatory role of local government identified
that implementing and enforcing State laws, rather than local laws, is dominating local
governments’ regulatory workload.
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The 2012-13 Federal budget included a framework for the second phase of the Nation Building
Program (NB2) which will run from 2014-19 and help deliver on the goals and objectives of the
National Urban Policy.
All of these are good reason to seriously consider the future Governance arrangements for Federal,
State and Local Governments to address the development of our Capital cities, major cities and regional
centres.
It has to be more than just about more roads and transport infrastructure. Infrastructure is important
but it needs to be delivered within an agreed planning and land use framework that is holistic and will
deliver international, competitive and liveable cities and regions by 2030.
This Taskforce report provides a comprehensive suite of ideas policies and programs to deliver this
starting with a Federal Minister and portfolio to lead the way.
Speaking of Governance the role of Infrastructure Australia must be beefed up and it is the Taskforces
hope that all political parties agree and announce this prior to the election as a foundation of their
transport and infrastructure platform and deliver after this election.
A recent Courier Mail article on March 6 by Jessica Irvine very much agreed with what BIC and the
Taskforce are calling for.
Australia needs to move away from the ad-hoc and unsustainable way that our cities have been
developing and infrastructure projects have been decided upon.
The article said “ At present Infrastructure Australia has no power to assess projects unless State or
Federal governments have submitted them for costing, (meaning for example it has no official view on a
2nd Sydney Airport)’ and I might add no official view on high speed rail or the right modal option for a
rapid transit corridor.
The article suggests that Infrastructure Australia should be delegated the authority to determine the
appropriate level of federal funding for different projects and be set free like the Reserve Bank to be a
fiercely independent and analytically rigorous manager of the nation’s infrastructure.
If we are going to get Australia’s cities of the future right we require national leadership and that in our
view means getting the governance right, a Minister and more teeth for Infrastructure Australia are
must do recommendations of this report to ensure the diversity, vibrancy, productivity and liveability of
our cities.
National leadership and muscle is required no matter your political colour. If a capital city plan has been
developed it cannot be chopped and changed based on the electoral cycle or the whim of a new
government. A capital city plan, a major city or regional plan should be the template that forms the basis
of future Federal Government funding.
Sure, such city plans need to be reviewed every 5 years say, because stuff does happen and things can
change or someone might have a better idea, but “holus bolus” change mid stream has to be eradicated.
This report encompasses a broad range of recommendations including future road pricing and
innovative funding mechanism to address the issues raised by Ken Henry in his Tax Review that clearly
show that future excise revenue and income tax revenues will be on the decline as we move to more
fuel efficient cars and an ageing population sees the size of the workforce plateau. We need new ways
to think about how we go about this and once again national leadership is required.
I am pretty certain that no-one here tonight is going to raise the spectre of road pricing with an election
imminent but there is a need for a national conversation and national leadership to meet the future
revenue and funding challenges we all know we are going to face.
The report recommends a national active transport strategy that encompasses walking, cycling and
public transport that will not only deliver congestion reductions but improve Australians overall health
as we will hear from Doctor Rob Grenfell later tonight.
Ideas are presented about spreading the morning and afternoon peak by looking at innovative and
flexible work options such as flexible work hours, telework and telecommuting to have the option to
work from home or a centralised office near where you live, through to discounted public transport
fares for passengers willing to travel outside the peak such as the early bird fares that are offered in
Melbourne.
The report and its recommendations are a significant and timely contribution to the national discussion
on the viability of transport networks and their integration with land use planning within our urban
settings and the places and spaces we live.
Minister Albanese, Shadow Minister Truss and Lee Rhiannon, I commend this report to you and hope
that it will assist each of your political parties deliberations in regard to your policies and programs
before and after the Federal election.
I would know like to ask Minister Albanese to the podium to say a few words and officially receive the
Moving Australia 2030 – A Transport Plan for a Productive and Active Australia Report and launch it.
Thank You