2017-06-15
Private toll roads to be scrutinised after Greens secure Senate inquiry
15 June 2017
The financial arrangements and transparency of the operations of private toll roads around the country are set to be put under the spotlight after The Greens secured a Senate Inquiry into toll roads today.
Senator Janet Rice, Greens transport and infrastructure spokesperson, noted that governments around the country are refusing to provide proper transparency and accountability of their dealings and contracts with private toll road operators .
“This is an important inquiry, allowing us to look into the financial arrangements of existing and proposed toll roads,” said Senator Rice.
“It’s vital that the public knows how these private toll road operators are working and what the real cost of these arrangements are to the community. We need to ensure that there is adequate transparency, accountability and equity of these arrangements.”
Senator Rice noted that federal and state governments are prioritising expensive, privatised toll roads over public infrastructure.
“We desperately need better investment in public transport. Instead, we have governments around the country locking commuters into paying huge amounts of money to use roads that have bad outcomes for congestion and pollution,” said Senator Rice.
“This inquiry will shine a light on the proposals, decisions and approvals for private toll roads across Australia, and ensure the public is not being taken for a ride by the big private toll operators.”
Terms of reference
Inquiry into the operations of existing and proposed toll roads in Australia, including consideration of:
- Financial arrangements of existing and proposed private toll roads; and transparency, accountability and equity aspects of these arrangements
- Interaction of commercial considerations of private toll road operators with federal and state transport and infrastructure policy
- Any other related matters.