The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) has called on the next Australian government to begin to implement the Smart Cities Plan developed by the Commonwealth and to deliver on the plan’s aspirations for a “30-minute city”.

The plan, launched at National Cities Summit in Melbourne earlier this year, outlines development solutions for Australian cities based on creating jobs closer to people’s homes, more affordable housing, better transport connections and healthy environments.

Responding to the plan ahead of next month’s general election in Australia, AAA Chief Executive Michael Bradley said: “The Smart Cities Plan includes a number of proposals that the AAA has been calling for over a period of time.

“Irrespective of which party wins the upcoming election, the next Australian Parliament must put transport infrastructure investment front and centre in its ongoing efforts to strengthen our economy.”

He added that the AAA welcomes the existing government’s explicit commitment to developing urban public transport projects (including rail), innovative financing models for infrastructure, rigorous project evaluation to ensure that the right projects are funded, accelerated planning and development works for major infrastructure projects, and investment in technology to ensure that Australians get maximum efficiency from transport infrastructure.

“Investment in transport systems is a critical element of the government’s 30-minute city aspiration. Efficient transport is essential to the lifestyles of Australian families, the economies of our towns and cities, as well as to the national economy, with Australian government estimates showing that for every dollar spent on recent road and rail projects, a further 2.7 dollars were returned to the economy,” Mr Bradley concluded.

In other AAA news, the organisation is calling on the Australian government to ensure all costs and benefits of tougher vehicle emissions standards are considered as it works to develop its new system of regulation.

The AAA is calling on the government to simultaneously review national regulation of CO2 and noxious emissions from light vehicles and Australian fuel quality standards so that any changes to fuel prices are fully considered when assessing the costs and benefits of any regulatory standards.

“The AAA accepts the need for motorists to play their part in reducing emissions and we welcome the opportunity to consult with the government on the future of vehicle emissions regulation in Australia,” Bradley said.

“In responding to the government’s Vehicle Emissions Discussion Paper, it’s become clear that the issues around emissions regulation are extremely complex and policy changes could potentially have unforeseen impacts on consumers. These could include significant changes to vehicle cost, fuel price, vehicle safety, and the type of cars and fuels available to the Australian market.

“Each of the regulatory areas under review has significant capacity to affect the affordability and sustainability of Australian motoring. However, the interplay between
these issues makes for even greater complexity and risk of unintended consequences.”

The AAA has prepared a submission that seeks to identify the issues that remain to be clarified by the government. It targets the abolition of industry protection measures such as import tariffs and the Luxury Car Tax, which it claims drive up new car costs, slow fleet renewal, and discourage the uptake of technologies that enhance safety and environmental performance.

It also calls for the enhancement of the Government’s Green Vehicle Guide to provide simpler and more usable information to consumers wanting to buy environmentally friendly cars, and the abolition of regulations prohibiting the personal importation of vehicles.