NRMA believes the key to keeping fuel costs low is to reduce Australia’s oil dependence by increasing the use of alternative fuels.
Last year, NRMA released the Jamison Group Report, which provides a 12-step road map to reduce Australia’s oil dependence.
The first step calls on the Australian Government to set a target of reducing oil dependence by 20 per cent by 2020, 30 per cent by 2030 and 50 per cent by 2050.
Importantly, the report points out that the Jamison Group’s recommendations have already been implemented in other jurisdictions around the world.
NRMA agrees Australia needs a plan to reduce oil dependence by 50 per cent by 2050. As a first step, the Australian Government should establish an industry advisory panel on alternative fuels that could work closely with Renewables Australia. The panel would advise on how to produce and use alternative fuels in Australia.
Such a plan would help set up Australia as a world leader in the development of alternative fuels technology.
Last month, La Trobe University released a discussion paper about a national road-user charging scheme to be considered by the Australian Government’s ‘Henry Review into Taxation’.
The paper called for road-user charging and an increase in fuel excise. NRMA’s position always has been that motorists already pay more than their fair share of fuel excise. Less than 30 per cent of fuel excise raised is spent on road or rail infrastructure.
While NRMA broadly supports a road-user charge, we do so only if fuel excise is completely removed and there is no net increase in costs to motorists.
NRMA will resist any moves towards La Trobe University’s proposal as it currently stands.
I am pleased to see the NSW Government has decided to use fluorescent yellow/green on school zone signs.
In the interests of improving safety for pedestrians and drivers who use school zones, NRMA has campaigned across the state for more than a year to have the highly visible colour used on signage.
Parents, families and school communities are the big winners after the NSW Government advised NRMA it will immediately begin replacing faded school zone signs with the NRMA-recommended yellow/green colour.
The fluorescent material, which complies with the Australian Standard, is a big improvement on the previous standard.
The safety benefits of fluorescent products are evident in everyday life. Road and transport personnel including NRMA road patrol staff wear trademark fluorescent vests.
Roads Minister Michael Daley should be congratulated for instructing the RTA to immediately start replacing old faded signs with the NRMA-recommended fluorescent yellow / green signs.
NRMA would like to see the RTA adopt a yearly school zone audit program to identify any issues like trees growing across school zone signs, faded traffic signs, changes required to parking signs and whether upgrades are required for pedestrian crossings.
Reflectivity is one issue, but even the brightest signs have no impact if they are hidden behind telegraph poles or trees.
There are about 22,000 school zone signs in NSW, and while it is a big job to replace them all, NRMA hopes the RTA adheres to advice from communities and replaces the worst ones first.
We encourage concerned Members to report fading school zone signs on our RoadTube website – roadtube. com.au. NRMA will pass on photos and information about inadequate signs to the RTA.
You can’t put a price on the safety of children, adults and drivers around school zones.
Wendy Machin President
Open Road, September/October 2009
