Chapter 5: Road Infrastructure
5 Road Infrastructure 5.1 A substantial proportion of AusLink funding is being applied to the improvement of Australia’s main road networks. In this chapter the Committee examines road connections, in areas other than port precincts, brought to its attention during this inquiry – either in evidence or during site visits – where funding of road improvements was demonstrated to be a priority. 5.2 As with rail links in the last Chapter, where the road issues relate directly to a port, they have been dealt with in Chapter 3. 5.3 It is obviously vital for the main highways to be brought up to an acceptable international standard. However, the Committee received evidence from a wide range of sources indicating that there are bottlenecks and “missing links” in other parts of the freight transport system, that are holding back its overall expansion and efficiency. 5.4 In many areas, the infrastructure needed is a section of road that is not covered by either funding from the AusLink program, or by State government funding. The chapter highlights some of these areas, where a project would make a marked difference to the efficiency, and/or safety, of the freight network and, in some instances, the GDP of a region. 5.5 This Chapter also refers to some problems of inconsistency between states and territories and the regulations they apply to freight transport by road. 134 Road Weight Limits 5.6 The question of increasing allowable road weight limits and axle loadings was raised by a number of participants in the inquiry. The difficulties caused by varying regulations between states were also raised.
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