17 July Jeff Tryens Executive Director SA Strategic Plan: Community Connection GPO Box 2343 ADELAIDE SA Dear Jeff

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1 Royal Automobile Association of South Australia Inc. ABN Richmond Road, Mile End, SA 5031 Phone (08) Fax (08) Jeff Tryens Executive Director SA Strategic Plan: Community Connection GPO Box 2343 ADELAIDE SA 5001 Dear Jeff SOUTH AUSTRALIA S STRATEGIC PLAN Congratulations on leading the incredibly expansive consultation process associated with the review of South Australia s Strategic Plan. To this end, the Royal Automobile Association of South Australia (RAA) has participated in several forums, providing the Association with the opportunity to directly contribute but to also hear the views from a very wide range of delegates representing very diverse interests. In addition to participating in a number of the Talking Targets consultation forums, through its representation on government bodies, such as the Road Safety Advisory Council, its subcommittees and taskforces; and the Transport & Planning reference and working groups involved in the development of SA s draft Greenhouse Strategy, the RAA has delivered consistent positions/views on issues directly impacting several Strategic Plan targets. Please find enclosed key points from the RAA s input into the review process over recent months, focussed on the following relevant objectives/targets: T1.16 Strategic infrastructure increase investment in strategic areas of infrastructure, such as transport, ports and energy to support and achieve the targets in the State Strategic Plan. T2.9 Road safety reduce road fatalities by 40% by 2010, with an ongoing focus on reductions in fatalities and serious injuries across all modes. T3.3 Greenhouse emissions achieve the Kyoto target during the first commitment period ( ); and T3.9 Use of public transport double the use of public transport to 10% of weekday travel by If the RAA can be of any further assistance, please contact Sharon Hanlon, General Manager Public Affairs, on Yours sincerely JOHN FOTHERINGHAM Managing Director

2 Target 1.16 STRATEGIC INFRASTRUCTURE Increase investment in strategic areas of infrastructure, such as transport, ports and energy to support and achieve the targets in the State Strategic Plan At present, the RAA considers the target for T1.16 to be too broad. An expansion of T1.16 was overwhelmingly supported throughout the consultation process and the RAA notes that the Preliminary Community Engagement Report (released by the SA Strategic Plan Update Team in June) details that the majority of regional forums rated Infrastructure as their highest priority. Similarly, recommendations in the SA Strategic Plan s Audit Committee Progress Report (June 2006) call for T1.16 to be developed to a more appropriate measure related to the Strategic Infrastructure Plan for South Australia (April 2005). The RAA supports the following suggestions for amending T1.16: Expand T1.16 to include benchmarks that display measures for transport infrastructure and that relate to value, timeliness and quality of infrastructure provision and include measures for the future provision of private and government funded infrastructure The critical need to link T1.16 to a state-wide transport plan, with the RAA disappointed the draft State Transport Plan was withdrawn following initial consultation and resulting in seemingly ad-hoc transport planning decisions. The RAA fully supports the further expanding of T1.16 to include ongoing maintenance of the target after it has been achieved. This also requires specific mention of South Australia s road maintenance funding backlog, which was previously estimated by TransportSA as being $160million and growing. Across the board, South Australia has been historically disadvantaged when it comes to road maintenance resulting in an aged and deteriorating network. Nationally, because of the formula applied to road maintenance funding allocations under the previous National Highway System, South Australia received just 7.9% of the total Federal funds allocated to maintenance, yet was responsible for 14.9% of the National Highway. This means that considerable top up maintenance funding is required to bring the AusLink National Network in South Australia up to the standard of other States, in additional to critical funding requirements for local and state roads. Investment in road maintenance will provide significant and measurable positive impacts on road safety, productivity and economic development, linking directly with key Strategic Plan Objectives T2.9(Road Safety), T1.10 (Productivity) and T1.12 (Exports).

3 Target T2.9 ROAD SAFETY Reduce road fatalities by 40% by 2010, with an ongoing focus on reductions in fatalities and serious injuries across all modes The RAA fully supports South Australia s commitment to the National Road Safety Strategy (NRSS) target of reducing the annual road fatality rate per 100,000 population by 40% by The NRSS states that by 2010, nationally, we can save 700 lives every year by: improving the safety of the roads (332 lives) improving the safety of vehicles (175 lives) improving driver behaviour (158 lives); and adopting smarter safety technology (35 lives) Thus, the greatest gains (48%) in reducing the road fatality rate will be achieved through greater investment in road infrastructure. RAA has been a strong supporter of the vast majority of legislative changes introduced over the last two to three years aimed at improving driver behaviour including Hoon and Drug Driving Legislation, extra speed and red light cameras, full-time mobile RBT and enhanced road safety education in schools. Similarly, the RAA has heavily contributed to the Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) which gives consumers consistent information on the level of occupant protection provided by vehicles in serious front and side crashes. The program is supported by Australian and New Zealand automobile clubs, the State government road and transport authorities of NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia and the New Zealand Government. However, the RAA has long argued that SA must make a greater investment in road infrastructure and as already highlighted, the NRSS estimates almost half (48%) of the road safety gains to be realised will come about through improvements to roads. And, unlike recurrent expenditure initiatives, funding of road infrastructure is an investment that returns significant and measurable economic, social, environmental and road safety benefits. Simply stated, by investing in our roads, additional funds will be freed up within other critical areas of government, which in turn can be allocated to Government s key priorities of health, eduction and law and order. As acknowledged in SA s Strategic Plan Audit Committee Progress Report, South Australia is unlikely to reach T2.9. The RAA firmly believes this situation could be re-dressed by significantly increasing targeted investment in road infrastructure.

4 Target T3.3 GREENHOUSE EMISSIONS Achieve the Kyoto target during the first commitment period ( The RAA has made significant contributions to the development of South Australia s draft Greenhouse Strategy, through its participation on the Transport & Planning stakeholder reference and working groups. The RAA fully supports T3.3, however this target will require expanding to link with the yet to be released State Greenhouse Strategy. The RAA has long advocated that meeting T3.3, in relation to lowering transport emissions, will require: integrated transport planning the need for governments to investigate moving towards a vehicle fleet with lower environmental impacts, including government leading through vehicle purchasing policies the introduction of ITS (intelligent traffic management systems) to deliver immediate emission reductions moving towards a user pays based Road User Charge in lieu of excise on fuel; and focus on voluntary behaviour change through the use of incentives, leadership and encouragement to take up more lower emission and cleaner fuel vehicles. The RAA maintains, however, that there remains further opportunity to strengthen the State s resolve to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through: Each industry sector being charged with establishing and delivering practical and workable solutions relevant to their sector, with greenhouse gas emission targets established on an individual project or initiative basis A review of vehicle registration fees to provide greater preferential treatment to more fuelefficient vehicles The development of measures to encourage drivers to drive more efficiently and regularly maintain their vehicles, through the use of random roadside inspections; and An acknowledgment that modal shift is not an option for the majority of freight currently moved by road transport given 80% of all freight is transported no more than 80kms from a depot and the impending doubling of Australia s freight task by Solutions must therefore recognise the role that freight operators can plan in being early-adopters of cleaner, more fuel efficient and quieter vehicles.

5 Target T3.9 USE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT Double the use of public transport to 10% of weekday travel by The RAA has long acknowledged that Adelaide requires an integrated transportation system incorporating all modes of transport including private and public transport, cycling and freight. An efficient public transport service is fundamental to the development of any community. However, it should be recognised that improvements to roads produce benefits not only for private and commercial vehicles but also for public transport 80% of which currently operates on Adelaide s road network. The RAA believes that meeting T3.9 requires public transport policies and projects that are sustainable in the long term and deliver real and measurable outcomes. The RAA believes it is imperative that the application of cost benefit analysis must apply to all proposed public transport projects, to ensure transport spending delivers genuine community benefits.