NAAS could lift GDP by up to $1.3 billion
The Productivity Commission’s final report on heavy vehicle reform backs wider automated road access, broader use of Performance-Based Standards vehicles and more Commonwealth support for local road and bridge checks. Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia welcomed the findings because they reflect priorities raised by Australia’s heavy construction materials industry during the inquiry.
Eligible PBS vehicles should gain greater as-of-right access on existing gazetted networks without new notices. The Commission also supported network-based automated access through the National Automated Access System, or NAAS, and further funding for local government road and bridge assessments.
According to the Commission, NAAS alone could lift gross domestic product by about $600 million to $1.3 billion. As a result, the system could reduce unnecessary permits, cut truck movements and improve freight productivity across housing and infrastructure supply chains.
CCAA chief executive Michael Kilgariff said the report addressed a long-running gap between truck investment and road access rules. “The Commission has recognised a fundamental problem, industry has invested in safer and more productive trucks, but the road access system has not kept pace,” Mr Kilgariff said.
Throughout the inquiry, CCAA argued that better access for modern trucks would help cement, concrete and aggregates move more efficiently. Those materials depend on local roads as well as larger freight routes that serve housing and infrastructure projects across Australia.
Electric heavy vehicle allowances
The report also supports nationally consistent additional mass allowances for electric heavy vehicles. Those allowances aim to avoid payload losses caused by battery weight.
Meanwhile, the Commission backed streamlined planning for charging infrastructure and exemptions from time-based delivery curfews for heavy zero-emission vehicles. Those changes would give operators more flexibility as fleets shift to lower-emission trucks.
In response, Michael Kilgariff said greater as-of-right PBS access, better local road asset data and an effective NAAS could cut permit delays and reduce avoidable truck trips. CCAA linked those changes to faster freight movements in construction supply chains.
However, CCAA warned the productivity gains will depend on follow-through by governments. The industry group said road and bridge asset data still needs improvement, and local road managers need stronger capability to make timely, evidence-based access decisions.
The Commission’s recommendations include PBS access on gazetted networks, NAAS rollout, local assessment funding and electric truck operating rules. Together, those measures align with CCAA’s heavy vehicle reform priorities for housing and infrastructure supply chains.
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