The trucking industry calls on the next Australian Government to-
- Invest an additional $5 billion over ten years in targeted road upgrades to support high productivity and zero and low tailpipe emission trucks, as well as network resilience
- Repeal mandatory climate reporting, to be replaced with an ABS survey
- Offer incentives to produce enough renewable diesel domestically to meet 5 per cent of Australia's diesel supply before the end of the 2030s
- Establish a voucher scheme to cover half the price gap between comparable electric and conventional truck models.
The next Australian Government should reduce costs for families and businesses by supporting the trucking industry to use longer, safer trucks, Australian Trucking Association Chair Mark Parry said today.
Mr Parry made the call at the 2025 Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters' Association (ALRTA) and Livestock, Bulk and Rural Carriers' Association (LBRCA) conference in Canberra today, where he released the ATA's productivity and carbon emissions policy for the 2025 election.
"We've heard a lot in this election campaign about the cost of living," Mr Parry said.
"Better government policies to improve the trucking industry's productivity would save a typical Australian household more than $400 per year on their everyday purchases.
"To achieve this, the next Australian Government should invest an extra $5 billion over ten years in targeted road upgrades to link up high productivity and zero tailpipe emission truck networks and to make the road network more resilient.
"High productivity trucks, such as 36.5 metre long A-doubles, reduce the cost of moving freight and the amount of fuel you use. These trucks can only operate on defined networks, and often all that's stopping their increased use is a single stretch of road, an intersection or an out of date bridge.
"The Government needs to eliminate these gaps, accompanied by changes to the states' networks. It also needs to press on with changing the national truck law and introducing a national automated access system to reduce the need for special access permits.
"Later in the campaign, I'll have more to say about eight critical road projects that need to be funded to boost the industry's productivity, in addition to these targeted upgrades," he said.
Mr Parry called on the next government to repeal mandatory climate reporting, which is already in force and will apply to businesses with more than 100 employees from mid-2027.
"Climate change is happening. We need to track our emissions - you can't manage what you can't measure - but mandatory reporting imposes yet more unnecessary requirements on businesses. There is no reason the bureau of statistics can't just do a survey," he said.
Mr Parry said the next government should support the domestic production of renewable diesel, with the goal that Australia's diesel supply should be five per cent renewable before the end of the 2030s.
"Australia's trucking industry is diverse. We haul long, heavy loads in remote areas. It is simply not possible to replace diesel trucks for much of our freight task," he said.
"Renewable diesel can be used in existing diesel engines. We need to produce it domestically to reduce emissions and strengthen Australia's fuel security," he said.
Mr Parry said the next government should address greenhouse gas and noxious emissions in Australia's cities by introducing a voucher scheme covering half the price difference between comparable electric and diesel truck models.
"Battery electric trucks are available now; they are ideal for urban and near urban freight tasks. The next government should make it easier for businesses to buy these trucks by covering half the cost difference," he said.
"Because the vouchers would be handled through truck dealerships, the tens of thousands of small trucking businesses and other small businesses that use trucks would be able to take up this opportunity."
The ATA has previously released its industry workforce and road safety platforms. It will publish more policy initiatives as the election gets closer.
