'Fix Australia - Fix The Roads' campaign set to be adopted by two other States

20/8/94

The 'Fix Australia - Fix The Roads' campaign is set to be adopted by two other States - Victoria and New South Wales - following a National Party State MPs' conference in Perth.

The annual conference, attended by 55 National Party State parliamentarians from around Australia, passed a resolution supporting the extension of the campaign to other States.

Other key resolutions passed included support for the clarification of police initial response powers on a national scale and the development of long term national strategies to minimise the impact of drought.

Delegates, which included Victorian National Party Leader and Deputy Premier, Pat McNamara, and New South Wales deputy party leader and Minister George Souris, said they wanted to see Western Australia's road funding campaign instituted in their respective States.

Transport Minister and WA National Party MLC Eric Charlton said the 'Fix Australia - Fix The Roads' campaign would become a key component in the national push for increased road funding allocations from Canberra.

Conference passed a resolution calling on the Commonwealth to release more in the way of Federal fuel excise revenue to the States for roads, and criticised Commonwealth actions in continually raising the fuel levy without due regard for the States' road funding needs.

"It is a clear signal to the Commonwealth that it must address the inequitable fuel tax/road funding policy," Mr Charlton said.

"It is recognition also that the road infrastructure crisis is a national problem and not peculiar to WA alone.

"The States are becoming increasingly hostile towards the Commonwealth's policy of using fuel excise as a revenue raiser for general government expenditure.

"Each increase in Federal excise, which is now 33 cents a litre, impacts on all road users.  The consumer feels a double impact because the transport cost for everything we buy rises in line with any upward adjustment in excise.

"Increases over the last 10 years have raised total revenue to the Commonwealth by $4 billion to $10 billion, without one extra cent going back to the States in road funding."

The Minister said there was strong support for the campaign from other States, like Queensland where the issue would be pursued by the National Party in opposition.

'Fix Australia - Fix The Roads' originated in WA following a national road crisis summit in Perth called by Mr Charlton.

The ongoing campaign is being run by the State Government, local government, the transport industry, the mining industry and motoring, tourism and farming organisations.

The objective is to create public awareness of the State's road funding predicament with the Commonwealth and convince the Federal Government to allocate more funds for national road maintenance and construction.

Mr Charlton also welcomed conference support of the stand taken by Federal and State Consumer Affairs Ministers over the disparity in national retail fuel pricing.

"There is a growing perception that discount prices offered for fuel is the real price and anything over and above that level is extra cop for the oil companies," he said.

"If this is the case, Australians are subsidising the overseas activities of these multi national companies, which is hardly fair.

"All States and the Commonwealth are eagerly awaiting the results of a current Industry Commission inquiry into the petroleum industry."

Conference gave in principle support for the development of policy for national uniformity in public initial response powers for police.

Among other things, the policy would clarify police powers in obtaining identification and the detention of suspects without arrest for a reasonable period.

Conference also resolved to work towards the implementation of policies that would assist farmers and small businesses dependent on primary industry for their income to beat drought.

Proposals include placing drought permanently on the agenda of the Council of Australian Governments, bringing the Commonwealth Government back into direct drought aid funding through natural disaster relief arrangements, the introduction of interest subsidies on debt and greater tax incentives.

Media contact:  Dean Roberts 321 7333