-
Posted by David Sexton
- |
-
19 Aug, 2026
THE LIVESTOCK, Bulk and Rural Carriers Association (LBRCA) has welcomed the Productivity Commission’s report on heavy vehicle reform and says governments must now turn recommendations into real improvements.
The impacts of heavy vehicle reform report has confirmed what the sector was already feeling, road freight productivity growth has stalled, driving up the cost of doing business and the costs of goods across the economy.
LBRCA president Wade Lewis said the report provided governments with a clear reform pathway to improve road access, high-productivity vehicles and the workforce.
“We welcome the report's findings that the benefits of productivity gains will come from increasing general access, improving proven and safe high productivity vehicles and reducing road access red tape,” Mr Lewis said.
LBRCA noted the barriers to productivity gains were not new, and the report offered practical measures to improve conditions for rural carriers.
“The report confirms we need to see an increase in general mass limits and expanding general access for road freight to boost productivity and get the task done,” Mr Lewis said.
Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE) modelling suggests that increasing general mass limits could raise road freight productivity 1.0%- 3.2%1, reducing the number of trips required.
Mr Lewis said the LBRCA is pro-productivity, pro-safety, and pro-harmonisation, but cautioned that livestock transport was a specialised sector and any harmonisation needed to be livestock-led.
"We are pragmatic and acknowledge many parts of the road network have constraints and support the need to ensure safety for all road users and public infrastructure,” Mr Lewis said.
LBRCA said the reform program should be backed by investment to address the inequity in regional road networks.
“There are real gaps in what is known and unknown about our rural road infrastructure, and this is often why we see restrictive decisions of local councils to heavy vehicle access," he said.
