Adam Ritzinger, HVIA Chief Technical Officer, joined Melissa Horne, Minister for Ports and Freight, senior government officials, and over 100 freight transport industry leaders at Melbourne’s State Library for the announcement this morning.
The new Victorian Freight Plan, titled ‘Victoria Delivers’, will operate between 2025 and 2030, and puts trucking front and centre with several initiatives aimed at strengthening the sector, and offering decarbonisation opportunities for HVIA members and their customers.
Specifically, a new $8 million Freight Sector Innovation Fund will help vehicle operators test and transition to next generation low and zero emission equipment. It is targeted at small-to-medium sized enterprises, which may not be able to readily access existing decarbonisation funding arrangements. The Department of Transport has also committed to scoping expansions to electric charging infrastructure to specifically cater for electric trucks.
Separately, the new plan includes actions for the Department of Transport to work with the Commonwealth to upgrade key roads and structures across the existing High Productivity Freight Vehicle (HPFV) network to bolster productivity and decarbonisation efforts, and to pursue a nationally-agreed consistent set of increased axles loads for Low and Zero Emissions Heavy Vehicles (LZEHVs).
The plan also included previous commitments to remove fees for structural assessments for Class 2 heavy vehicles from 1 January 2026, and to implement an automated permit assessment system, both of which HVIA played a crucial role in securing earlier in the year.
“Overall, there is a lot to celebrate in Victoria’s new freight plan, and it is really encouraging to see so many of the initiatives align perfectly with HVIA’s previous advocacy efforts and conversations with government officials and policy makers at all levels”, explained Adam.
“Our submission to the Victorian Government in June last year focussed on direct assistance to industry to transition to newer vehicles with better safety features and more advanced emissions equipment, increasing access for High Productivity Freight Vehicles, and improving facilities for charging”, he added.
“Seeing these topics front and centre in the new freight plan proves the value of a strong national voice that understands state and local issues as well”, he said. “We look forward to reading the plan in greater detail in the coming weeks, and working with the Victorian Government on its implementation in the months and years ahead”.
For more information, contact Adam Ritzinger at a.ritzinger@hvia.asn.au.