Operators will pay higher registration and fuel charges from July 1 after the Australian Transport Council decided to increase fees by 4.2 percent
May 7, 2010
Transport operators will pay higher registration and fuel charges from as early as July 1 this year after the Australian Transport Council decided to increase fees by 4.2 percent.
The ATC, which brings together the nation’s transport ministers, voted in favour of a proposal from the National Transport Commission (NTC) to raise the fuel excise from 21. 7 cents to 22.6 cents a litre, cutting almost one cent off the diesel rebate.
The annual registration charge for two-axle buses – including those under 12 tonne and over 12 tonne – will rise by $16 to $408; while the fee for three-axle coaches will increase by just under 4.2 percent to $2,244.
It is unclear if charges in all jurisdictions will increase at the beginning of July as proposed by the NTC – although the NSW Government has ruled out deferring new truck registration charges, meaning the state’s operators will be hit with two cost rises in six months.
Former NSW Roads Minister Michael Daley last year delayed a rise in registraton fees until January 1 this year rather than agreeing to the nationally-set date of July 1, 2009 – a move designed to give operators in the state extra time to adjust to the rises due to the impact the global financial crisis was having on industry.
The ATC also ordered the NTC to provide cost adjustment proposals by the end of January after the industry complained there was not enough time given to allow operators to factor the costs into their budgets.
“The National Transport Commission will provide the result of future annual adjustment calculations to ATC members no later than 31 January each year,” the ATC communiqué reads.
The NTC this year made its proposal in late March and conducted a month-long consultation before submitting a final recommendation to the ATC today.
According to the NTC, the 4.2 percent rise is necessary due to a 10.7 percent increase in road expenditure by governments.
It says the industry has benefited from greater access, less congestion and reduced wear and tear on vehicles.
Registration fees were due to rise without the 4.2 percent due to the final year of a three-year plan to recoup money from the industry for past road expenditure.
Click here to find out registration costs for each vehicle.