The Great South Coast Regional Road Group would consist of the mayors and chief executive officers of local councils who would liaise with the Heavy Vehicle Charging and Investment Reform (HVCI) project to prioritise local road projects, develop asset management plans and forecast future heavy vehicle demand. 

The HVCI project stems back to 2006 when the productivity commission held an inquiry into road and rail freight infrastructure pricing, which found heavy vehicle road pricing and regulatory arrangements do not lead to efficient use and provision of the road network, meaning an increased cost to industry and government. 

All state and territory ministers signed off on the findings of the HVCI in 2013, which has allowed the project to move towards implementation. The municipal association of Victoria has written to all councils requesting they consider forming Local Government Regional Groups. 

Victoria is the only state or territory without such groups in place. 

Mr Green said it was proposed HVCI reforms would work with regional road groups rather than individual councils and substantial changes to road funding arrangements had been flagged in the HVCI reforms. “It is possible local roads will be included in heavy vehicle funding distributions for the first time,” Mr Green stated in the report. 

“Fund will be allocated to priorities agreed to by regional groupings of councils working with other stakeholders. This will have implications for the way projects are prioritised and funded under the new model arrangements. “The HVCI project may provide a new source of local road funding that may only be accessed through regional road groups.”

Also on tonight’s agenda is a special charges scheme to upgrade a section of Camperdown’s Park Lane and the adoption of concept plans for the town’s streetscape renewal project. 

The meeting at the Killara Centre in Camperdown begins at 7pm.