ATA Opposes Regional Speed Limit Reductions

The Australian Trucking Association has added its voice to growing industry concern over a federal proposal to reduce speed limits on unsigned regional roads. Releasing the ATA’s submission to the Infrastructure Department, ATA Chair Mark Parry said the government should focus on targeted safety upgrades rather than blanket speed reductions. Mr Parry said there were “more effective ways to improve road safety.”

He argued the consultation paper’s cost–benefit modelling failed to account for more efficient measures. “According to the consultation paper, reducing speed limits would generate $2.20 in benefits for every dollar it would cost,” Mr Parry said.

“For the same dollar, we could get $9.60 in benefits by placing more warning signs at dangerous locations on rural roads or $6.60 in benefits through line marking.”

Mr Parry warned that lowering the default limit to 80 km/h would undermine freight productivity, particularly for time-sensitive loads such as livestock. He noted a media comparison that likened the additional travel time to “the duration of a Taylor Swift track,” adding that such estimates understate impacts in regional Australia.

He also raised concerns about flawed assumptions within the government’s modelling, including decade-old wage figures, outdated superannuation rates, and reliance on inter-capital freight data rather than rural freight operations. Mr Parry said better-maintained regional roads would deliver safety, productivity and climate resilience benefits for industry and the broader community.