ESA (ACT) Road pricing and provision: solving public policy challenges

Road pricing and provision: solving public policy challenges 

Lunchtime seminar
Wednesday 17 October
12.00 – 1.30pm

Traffic congestion, excess road damage, falling revenue from road users – these are some of the public policy challenges that road pricing reform in Australia may help to solve.

Road pricing is not a new concept—toll roads have existed in Australia since Governor Macquarie established one from Sydney to Parramatta in 1811—and distance-based charging schemes have been trialled and implemented with varying success overseas.

But how would full market reform of roads look in a federation like Australia? In its responses to the 2016 Australian Infrastructure Plan and the 2015 Competition Policy Review, the Australian Government explicitly supported investigating cost-reflective road pricing as a long-term reform option, and has committed to establishing a study chaired by an eminent Australian to look into the potential impacts of road pricing reform on road users. The challenges we face in this space are manifold and complex, and we still have a long road ahead of us. However, with advocacy for reform coming from interest groups as diverse as governments, private transport companies, peak industry bodies, policy think tanks and state motoring clubs, there is now more support than ever before for changing the way we provide for and fund our roads.

The ACT Economic Society of Australia are delighted to welcome Dr Michael de Percy CMILT who recently launched Road Pricing and Provision: Changed Traffic Conditions Ahead (ANU Press and Australia and New Zealand School of Government 2018), co-edited with Professor John Wanna https://press.anu.edu.au/publications/series/australia-and-new-zealand-school-government-anzsog/road-pricing-and-provision  

Speaker
Dr Michael de Percy, CMILT
Senior Lecturer in Political Science, University of Canberra

Venue: Griffin Centre, 20 Genge Street, Canberra

Light lunch is available from 12.00pm and the seminar will commence at 12.30pm sharp
Non-members and guests are welcome
Attendance is free