Re: Alice Springs to Darwin line, but wait, there is more.!

[mauried@commslab.gov.au (Maurie Daly)]

In article <INRK3.7317$lE.33460@ozemail.com.au> "Ray McDermott" <raymcd@ozemail.com.au> writes:
>From: "Ray McDermott" <raymcd@ozemail.com.au>
>Subject: Re: Alice Springs to Darwin line, but wait, there is more.!
>Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1999 10:17:02 +1000



>--
>Ray McDermott   raymcd@ozemail.com.au
>< Tell > <telljb@OZozemail.com.au> wrote in message
>TLf6N9iWe+zVZzItZZDjNs4rc6wV@4ax.com">news:TLf6N9iWe+zVZzItZZDjNs4rc6wV@4ax.com...
>> "Exnarc" <gwrly@netspace.net.au> wrote in reply to
>> Terry who said thus:
>> > >
>> > > Cost recovery, well seeing that only a *fraction* of
>> > > the taxes paid by Australian motorists and trucks
>> > > actually finds its way back into the roads.  I am not
>> > > sure what your point is.
>> > > Railways pay stuff all taxes when compared with
>> > > cars/trucks.  Keating, remember him, he slapped an
>> > > excise on fuel for railways which has now been revoked
>> > > by those terrible Torys.!  It was peanuts compared with
>> > > the road impositions.
>>
>> [Bob]
>> > Terry there you go again, what have you been drinking???<g>
>> >
>> > Tell us all so we can join in.
>>
>> [Terry}
>> OK, the total taxes (Fed & State) collected from ALL
>> road users including fuel excise, sales tax, rego,
>> stamp duties, parts etc amount to a staggering $15.5
>> BILLION annually, and these figures are a couple of
>> years old.
>>
>> The spending on roads is just under $2 BILLION.!
>>
>(snip)------


>This tirade was obviously lifted straight from a trucking magazine as found
>in one of those dreadful road-houses that abound in NT.  It is illogical
>that all taxes raised through the motor transport industry must be spent on
>roads.  (Corollary: All liquor taxes spent on vineyards??)
>  Consider:
>  (1)  Sales and excise taxes are a legitimate method of raising taxes.  The
>GST is an extension of this principle.  The motor industry must make its
>contribution.
>  (2)  Road user charges are a separate issue over and above basic tax.
>  (3)  Private motorists carry too much tax burden vis-a-vis road transport
>industry.
>  (4)  Infrastructure and maintenance costs for truck-carrying roads are
>much higher than required for cars alone.  The trucking industry should bear
>the total differential.
> (5)  There is a much greater cost to the community for roading than the
>provision of roads.  The cost of road deaths and injuries, administration,
>policing etc must be included.

>Ray

All above is absolutely correct , but what do you do about No 4.
If we choose to build car carrying roads only , ie ban all trucks then the 
whole transport industry stops , including unfortunately all businesses that 
rely on road transport for their goods,(just about all,)
We need trucks, rail, cannot deliver door to door.
If we accept that trucks are needed then we must build roads that can carry 
trucks,no point in building sub standard roads that are continuously damaged 
by the passage of trucks.
Noone questions the fact that heavy trucks dont pay their way,the problem is 
how do you make them.
Mass / Distance charging is often talked about and would be a good idea if it 
could be practically implemented, but how do you do it ?
ie one would have to accurately measure the annual gtk of every truck in the 
country and levy an appropriate fee.
This would need a mass of weighbridges on every major highway at every major 
turnoff, plus a huge administration to make it all work.
Even if one could get all the above to work,the you would have to deal with
S92A of the constitution of this country which guarantees free trade between 
the states.
In the past, the High Court has found this section to mean that taxing trucks 
carrying interstate goods is unconstitutional.
Even if all the above could be implemented, the trucking industry would simply 
pass the additional taxes onto the end user, we havnt achieved anything.

A far far simpler solution to level the unlevel playing field , which could be 
done with the stroke of a pen overnight,is to simply abolish track access 
charges for rail.
Of course since just about all rail tracks in this country are owned by the 
Govt and Govts use track access as still another method of raising revenue,
dont hold your breath waiting for this to happen.

MD