The draft annual adjustment for heavy vehicle charges has been released today for industry consultation.

Based on Council of Australian Government (CoAG) and Australian Transport Council (ATC) principles, heavy vehicle road-use charges are set nationally to ensure trucks and buses pay their fair share of road spending.

In the 2008/09 financial year, a 10.7 per cent increase in road expenditure, based on a rolling seven year average, has helped to improve B-double access, alleviate road congestion, shorten trip times and reduce wear and tear on vehicles.

An agreed annual adjustment formula is applied to ensure heavy vehicle charges keep pace with those road spending programs.

NTC has recommended a 4.2 percent adjustment to heavy vehicle charges for 2010/11 to comply with CoAG’s agreed principles for heavy vehicle cost recovery.

The proposal would require a technical amendment to the annual adjustment formula to reflect a large increase in B-doubles using the road network (the current formula assumes a stable fleet mix).