Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee, , 7:21:02 to 7:26:17
Specific recommendations for the Tasmanian Freight and Vehicle Equalization Schemes.
Topics: Infrastructure, Government spending
Speakers: Hon Richard Colbeck, Senator Glenn Sterle, Megan Scott, Unknown Speaker, Senator Fatima Payman
Thanks, chair.
>> Okay. So, questions. Senator Kadel. Senator, sorry. Senator Colbeck. >> I've got some stuff on TS. Yep. You you Um I just want to go back to the question Senator Gateby asked a moment
TFS. And I'm pleased, Minister, that you talked about the uh $48 million, I think it was, that was going in a year over two years to increase the rate by 25%. Which is I think what your election commitment was. Um I will note that um it was under cooked by about $14 million based on the calculations that the parliamentary budget office did on the project. can I ask the department, does the report to the minister recommend a realignment of the classifications within the scheme to bring it back to its design recommendations at the outset and um prevent the high level of underpayments that were being made under the scheme. as uh came out through the select committee process.
>> Senator, I can't speak to the content of that report. It's a matter for the government to release.
>> Okay. Does the report recommend an increase in the intermodal cost indexed by CPI from 2002 with a commitment to continuous CPI indexation annually?
>> Again, Senator, I can't go to the comments uh inside that report. It
should do both of those things. Uh, does it in recommend an increase in the export fixed rate by at least $100 including to Flenders and King Island?
>> Senator, I can't comment on the content
>> Does it recommend the implementation of a simpler claims process? Same answer,
Senator.
does it recommend the continuation of the program as a demand-driven scheme?
>> Same answer, Senator.
does it recommend shorter review cycles given the high inflation environment that we're living in right now and um its impact in decaying the value of the scheme to shippers.
>> Same answer, Senator.
>> Okay. Um, I'll go to vehicle equalization, which was also part of the same report. >> Um, does the report recommend indexation of rates? >> passenger vehicle equalization scheme. Does the report recommend any changes in categories of vehicles?
>> Same answer, Senator.
>> Passenger equalization scheme. Does it does the report recommend a regular indexation of the scheme?
>> Same answer, Senator.
>> Thank you, chair.
>> was worth you done. Done on outcome two. >> All right. Well, we'll let outcome two go. Thank you very much. And let's call the officers for outcome three. >> Yeah. Well, we got a big >> We're all working together cuz we're not >> No thanks, mate. I do, but I'm not going >> No, no, no, no, no. Seriously. I think [clears throat] >> I think we're waiting for officers. >> I tell you what, you wouldn't want to do a relay with this one. They're pretty slow in changing. >> Safe to start. Okay. I now welcome officers from outcome three. Invite questions. Senator McKenzie. Thank you