Austroads Project CS 1338
Improving Local Road Expenditure Data Provision
SUPPLEMENTARY SURVEY 2008
1. BACKGROUND
Austroads Project CS 1338 is sponsored by the National Transport Commission (NTC) and supported by the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA).
The purpose of the project is to improve the quality of local road expenditure data used by the NTC and ALGA.
The NTC is particularly keen to improve the local road expenditure data (currently sourced from the ABS) that it uses in its cost allocation modelling which is used to determine heavy vehicle charges nationally so that efficient road user charges can be estimated.
There is currently significant uncertainty in both the aggregate amount of local road expenditure that is reported in Australia and there is little breakdown of the existing information on a basis that is readily useable for cost allocation modelling by the NTC.
Estimates of the aggregate amount of local road expenditure data have undergone some big changes in recent years with the ABS revising their estimates of annual data since 1998 by around six hundred million dollars per annum following a review of their methodology with annual estimates prior to 1998 on a consistent basis with the more recent data not being available. Despite this latest revision major differences remain in national local road expenditure estimates depending on the data used due to definitional issues and lack of sufficient disaggregation on government financial statistics.
The local road expenditure data available from the ABS is currently split between urban and rural and also current and capital expenditure, and no further segmentation can be confidently made. Currently the NTC derives data for the local road system by road expenditure type by using shares that come from arterial road data supplied by the road authorities. Just how accurate or otherwise this assumption is unknown and this proposed project would provide a basis for answering this question.
Overall this project will aim to improve the provision of local road expenditure data so that there is greater certainty in the aggregate amount reported nationally and a greater disaggregation of the data more suited to cost allocation and road pricing.
2. METHODOLOGY
The project is based on data collected for the ALGA National Local Road Data System (NLRDS). ALGA has collected local road expenditure data through and with the co-operation of the State Grants Commissions and Western Australia Local Government Association (WALGA) annual local government data collection surveys of councils.
The NLRDS uses this data for eight performance measures to identify trends in local road performance. The NLRDS performance measures may be viewed at www.jr.net.au/nlrds and are shown below.
Austroads Project CS 1338 project will undertake a supplementary survey of a 10% sample of councils throughout Australia to develop a finer breakdown of road expenditure that is more consistent with that currently available for arterial roads. This will significantly improve the provision of local road expenditure data so that there is a greater certainly in the aggregate amount reported nationally and a greater disaggregation of the data more suited to cost allocation and road pricing.
This national survey of 10% of councils also offers the opportunity to improve the knowledge of the local road systems and the opportunity is being taken to develop knowledge about:
- the role of the local road in the local transport task,
- the role of the local road in meeting business and commercial transport task, and
- use of the network by higher mass commercial vehicles.
3. 2007 SURVEY INTERIM REPORT
The Austroads Project involves a survey of councils in 2007 and 2008 to obtain improved detailed costing information for analysis and input into the NTC’s cost allocation model.
Seventeen workshops were held throughout Australia in February/April 2007 and attended by 69 councils. 31 councils completed the survey for by the close date. The co-operation and assistance from councils in attending the workshops and completing the survey form is greatly appreciated.
The project interim report is now complete and accepted by the Project Steering Group. The report recommended that participating councils be provided with an update on the project and the outcome from the 2007 survey and data analysis. The Project Update and Executive Summary of the interim report were forwarded participating Councils in November 2007.
The interim report concluded:
· The project successfully developed the methodology proposed to obtain greater detail on local road expenditure from the ALGA National Local Road Data System (NLRDS).
· The project identified local road expenditure data to improve the NTC’s cost allocation model.
· There was insufficient data to recommend changes to the current estimated percentages of local road expenditure that are related to ‘access’ and used in the NTC cost allocation model.
· There is general support for further investigations as an addition to the project to identify the costs that may be attributed to the major users of the local road system being:
o Local (residential) use
o Regional (business/commercial) use, and
o Higher mass limit vehicle (commercial) use.
Click HERE (Right Click and Save Target As to save to your computer) to download the Project Update and Executive Summary of the Interim Report.
4. SUPPLEMENTARY SURVEY TEMPLATE AND INSTRUCTIONS
Click HERE (Right Click and Save Target As to save to your computer) to download the 2008 supplementary survey questionnaire (updated 26 February 08).
Click HERE (Right Click and Save Target As to save to your computer) to download the 2008 supplementary survey instructions (updated 8 February 08)
Click HERE (Right Click and Save Target As to save to your computer) to download the Workshop slide handouts (updated 28 February 2008).
Please return the completed supplementary survey questionnaire to survey@jr.net.au preferably within 4 weeks of your regional workshop or by Friday 9 May 2008.
5. PROJECT DETAILS
Austroads Project CS 1338 is managed by the National Transport Commission.
Jeff Roorda and Associates have been engaged to complete the project for Austroads.
Contact NTC
Chris Egger
Project Manager
Senior Policy Analyst - Economics
National Transport Commission
Level 15/628 Bourke St
Melbourne Vic 3000
T 03 9236 5033
Contact JRA
John Howard
JRA Project Manager
PO Box 717
Springwood NSW 2777
M 0427 949 035