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This Digest was prepared for debate. It reflects the legislation as
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CONTENTS
Passage History
Purpose
Background
Main Provisions
Concluding Comments
Endnotes
Contact Officer & Copyright Details
Passage
History
Date Introduced: 2 April 1998
House: House of Representatives
Portfolio: Transport and Regional Development
Commencement: On Royal Assent.
Purpose
To amend the
Interstate Road Transport Charge Act 1985 (the Principal
Act) to provide for a formula for setting charges for registering
vehicles for less than one year under the Federal Interstate
Registration Scheme.
Background
At the 1991 Special Premiers Conference, Heads
of Government signed an Inter-governmental Agreement establishing a
national heavy vehicle registration, regulation and charging
scheme. The focal point of the scheme was the establishment of the
National Road Transport Commission (NRTC) to recommend nationally
uniform heavy vehicle regulations and to develop a heavy vehicle
charging scheme. Recommendations by the NRTC are provided to a
Ministerial Council for Road Transport for deliberation.
After much consideration by the NRTC and debate
amongst jurisdictions, a nationally uniform registration system was
finally implemented when, on 1 October 1996, Tasmania was the last
State to adopt the Commission's recommended heavy vehicle
registration charges.
Interstate road freight operators can choose to
register their vehicles under the Federal Interstate Road Transport
Scheme (FIRS) or under State registration arrangements.(1) Where
vehicles are registered under FIRS, the fees paid are refunded to
the States to assist with road cost recovery. The States administer
FIRS on behalf of the Commonwealth.
Currently the Schedule of registration charges
applicable to FIRS registered vehicles only makes reference to
annual fees. However, in 1995, sub-Regulation 27(c), made pursuant
under the Principal Act, was inserted to enable vehicles to be
registered for a period shorter than one year. The current Bill
provides a formula which enables a registration fee to be
calculated as a pro rata amount of the annual fee for the number of
days of registration sought.
Main
Provisions
Item 2 of the Schedule to the
Bill inserts, after subsection 5(1) of the Principal Act, a formula
which enables a registration fee to be calculated as a pro rata
amount of the scheduled annual fee for the number of days of
registration sought.
Concluding Comments
The provisions of this Bill will ensure that
FIRS registered vehicles are not disadvantaged relative to State
registered vehicles, especially since both the Commonwealth and the
States have endorsed, through the Ministerial Council for Road
Transport, the provision of short registration periods as one of
the initiatives of the Second Heavy Vehicle Reform Package
currently being facilitated by the National Road Transport
Commission.
Endnotes
- A description of FIRS may be found in the accompanying Bills
Digest for the Interstate Road Transport Amendment Bill 1998.
Denis James
7 May 1998
Bills Digest Service
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ISSN 1328-8091
© Commonwealth of Australia 1998
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Published by the Department of the Parliamentary Library,
1998.
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