On Friday last week the Federal Government released two key documents related to technology and transport, being the National Road Transport Technology Strategy, and the 2024-27 National Connected and Automated Vehicle Action Plan. Both documents can be accessed here.
The National Road Transport Technology Strategy does not focus on specific technologies, but notes the recent advances in sensor technology, automation, artificial intelligence, connectivity, and data processing and analysis that are being applied to road vehicles, infrastructure and road management systems.
The centrepiece of the strategy is a set of set of nine policy principles intended to guide nationally consistent decision-making across all jurisdictions. The principles focus on safety, national compatibility, value for money, innovation, sustainability and adaptability.
In relation to heavy vehicles specifically, the strategy notes efficiency and productivity benefits available through data analysis to support evidence-based access decisions, and help assess road network performance including understanding the impact of high-productivity vehicles.
Another example of possible benefits is in relation to sustainability, where intelligent transport systems are proposed to ‘smooth’ traffic flows, thus reducing fuel use. The need to ensure that connected and automated infrastructure is suited to use by heavy vehicles is also mentioned.
The National Connected and Automated Vehicle Action Plan focuses specifically on preparing for the deployment of automated vehicles and sets out a series of national priority actions at the federal and state levels, over the 2024-2027 period.
The actions are divided into three workstreams: vehicle automation, vehicle connectivity and cross-cutting actions. The workstreams each contain between six and 10 detailed actions led by stakeholders including federal government departments, the states and territories, the NTC and Austroads.
HVIA welcomes the release of the strategy and is supportive of moves to prepare for automated vehicles, but repeats previous calls for the NTC to ensure that the correct regulatory settings are achieved.
Specifically, HVIA advocates for a regulatory framework that supports the industry in adopting new technology, rather than creating compliance requirements that are overly burdensome, or financially unfeasible.