Output Group 1
TRANSPORT POLICY ADVICE AND PLANNING
This Output Group supports the broader strategic transport policy objectives of the Government. These objectives are shaped by moves to adopt best practice in transport services and infrastructure development.
The outputs relate to:
Planning, development and review of passenger and freight transport policies;
Development of transport strategies to enhance the social, economic and environmentally sustainable development of the State; and
Development of regional transport plans, local government partnerships and road corridor plans.
Key clients
The Minister for Infrastructure, Energy and Resources is the primary client of the output group.
How this Output Group is delivered
Divisional staff primarily produce Outputs in this Group with assistance from other Divisions and external consultants. There is close liaison with stakeholders, including other agencies, local government, industry bodies and community groups.
Achievements Against Strategies Identified for 2003/04
INFRASTRUCTURE POLICY AND PLANNING
New Infrastructure Policy and Planning Branch
The Infrastructure Policy and Planning Branch was established in July 2003. This brought together staff of the former Land Transport Planning Branch and the Transport Logistics Branch, but with significantly expanded roles and changed responsibilities. The new Branch is located within the Infrastructure Policy Division.
The new Branch is providing improved strategic infrastructure and transport policy and planning advice to Government. It is concentrating its efforts on a small number of major projects, rather than spreading its resources across many wide-ranging tasks.
Within Government, the Branch has a lead responsibility for:
Understanding emerging transport and infrastructure demands and needs;
Creating an integrated approach to infrastructure development that supports economic development;
Creating an efficient seamless transport system that links air, sea, road and rail modes and land use strategies;
Representing DIER’s interests within the resource management and planning system; and
Supporting specific infrastructure projects, as required.
The creation of the Branch follows the transfer of a number of corridor planning and technical functions to the Roads and Public Transport Division in March 2003. These transferred activities are now reported under Output Group 3.
State Infrastructure Plan
Infrastructure is considered a key driver of Tasmania’s competitiveness in the national and global market. The Tasmanian Government’s role in planning, providing, facilitating and maintaining infrastructure is therefore fundamental to supporting the State’s economic and social well-being. For Tasmania’s infrastructure to fulfil this, there needs to be a clear vision. It needs to be planned for the longer term and directed towards strategic policy objectives.
Work began on developing the conceptual framework for a State Infrastructure Planning System that will analyse infrastructure, including transport, energy, water, telecommunications, land use and regulation against demand. It will provide a strategic plan for infrastructure into the future and it is intended that the system will build on the foundations established by the Infrastructure and Resource Information Service (IRIS).
Land Transport Freight Task
Given the potential doubling of the land transport freight task over the next 10-15 years, and the need to make informed strategic decisions about the future of the Tasmanian transport network, it is important that DIER gain a much better understanding of the current freight task and, in particular, the roles to be played by road and rail in meeting future transport and infrastructure demands and needs.
During the year, key activities within this broader area included:
Completion of a freight demanders survey of Tasmania’s major heavy vehicle users which provided important up-to-date, reliable information on the uses made of the State’s road and rail system, including the flows of freight;
Completion of a freight movers survey which provided information about the major providers of transport services: the services they provided; their distribution around the State, their role in the logistics chain; their capabilities and the interrelationship of the different services;
A preliminary examination of the role and function of rail in performing Tasmania’s current and future freight task and its potential for improved efficiency and market share; and
Building on the rail analyses, the engagement of a consultant in late 2003/04 to undertake a pilot which examines infrastructure maintenance costs for road freight and rail freight and explores the potential to shift these costs between road and rail.
Regional Integrated Transport Plans
During the year, three Regional Integrated Transport Plans were facilitated under the umbrella of Regional Partnership Agreements (Region North, Cradle Coast and Southern Tasmanian Councils).
The Northern Tasmanian Integrated Transport Plan was signed off by the State Government and Region North member Councils in January 2004. The final draft of the Cradle Coast Integrated Transport Plan has been prepared and will shortly be released for stakeholder consultation. The development of the draft Southern Tasmanian Integrated Transport Plan will begin during the 2004/05 financial year.
AusLink
During the year, DIER has continued to advance Tasmania’s position to ensure the best possible funding outcome for land transport infrastructure in this State under the Australian Government’s AusLink initiative. This included continual emphasis of the importance of extending the national transport network in Tasmania beyond the current national highway system and including within it the State’s main rail corridors.
The final transport policy AusLink White Paper was released in June 2004 and it heralds significant changes to funding arrangements for States. DIER’s lobbying resulted in the national network expanding beyond the previously defined national highway system (the Midland Highway and the Bass Highway between Launceston and Burnie) to include the East Tamar Highway, Bell Bay Main Road and the most important rail corridors in Tasmania.
Resource Management and Planning System Advice
Strategically focused advice on initiatives and issues within the resource management and planning system is coordinated across DIER’s portfolio areas, including mining, forestry, transport and infrastructure.
During the year key activities within this area included:
Provision of advice on the draft Noise Policy and implications of the State of the Environment Report;
Provision of advice on industrial strategies in the North-West and Meander Valley;
Completion of draft model planning scheme provisions for protecting road and rail assets in planning schemes;
Initiating a project to improve approaches to economic infrastructure development within planning schemes;
Provision of advice on Planning Schemes in the Clarence, Central Coast, George Town, West Tamar and Central Coast municipalities; and
Involvement in the drafting of the National Charter of Land Use and Transport Planning and its dissemination across Tasmania.
Bell Bay Review
Under the umbrella of a Partnership Agreement with the George Town Council, work began mid-year on a project to review and update information and strategies covering environmental and infrastructure planning, development plans and marketing arrangements for the industrial area.
Elements of the project completed during the year included
Government and Council stakeholder agreement to an overall project plan;
Collation of relevant information; and
Initiation of a review examining gaps in information and strategies.
Additional Achievements for 2003/04
Transport and Energy Security
A separate function has been established in the Infrastructure Policy Division to provide consistency of approach in meeting DIER's responsibilities in the development of national and state policies and legislation for security preparedness, in particular for transport activities and for the energy sector.
All State/Territory Governments have been working closely with the Australian Government and affected industries' peak bodies to develop appropriate legislative frameworks and compliance criteria. This is to ensure that measures are in place for preventing and suppressing acts of terrorism against critical energy infrastructure, aircraft, airports, ships, passengers and cargoes. Land transport modes are in the early stages of being similarly addressed.
DIER has been closely involved in this process and has provided liaison, information and assistance to keep industry abreast of developments and ensure Tasmania's compliance with new security arrangements.
Tasmanian Transport Plan
DIER is committed to the development of a Transport Plan for Tasmania. This will take time to develop and involve new approaches to planning and policy development.
During the year, work began on the development of a framework for Tasmania’s transport system that:
Identifies key policy directions for the transport system;
Documents where Tasmania has come from and what has been achieved to date;
Outlines the key issues and challenges for Tasmania’s transport system and innovative ideas to address them; and
Establishes programs to take the Tasmanian transport function forward.
Forestry Freight Assessment
Work began on the development of a model of Tasmania’s long term forestry freight task, incorporating information on forest resources, road and rail routes, infrastructure and environmental constraints, and infrastructure and transport cost analysis.
Elements of the project completed during the year included:
Reviewing the majority of resource information;
Developing a model of forestry freight costs;
Developing a hierarchy of road and rail routes and the catchments serving major destinations; and
Developing a database of environmental and noise sensitive areas.
Transfer of Rail Safety Function
In March 2004, responsibility for rail safety matters transferred from the Infrastructure Policy Division to the Land Transport Safety Division. This includes the day-to-day administration of rail safety accreditation and rail safety policy matters. Comments on achievements for 2003/04 are reported against Output Group 2.
King Island Shipping
Under a Partnership Agreement with the King Island Council, DIER has established working groups with the Council, King Island shippers and the local port corporation to work through issues relating to the provision of a shipping service to the Island. This work has included:
Roles and responsibilities of the various parties in relationship to the shipping service;
Short and long-term contingency plans for disruptions to the shipping service; and
Development of a process whereby the shippers can ascertain they have the best service available now, and into the future, and options available in the market place.
Tasmanian Freight Logistic Council
DIER continues to support the Tasmanian Freight Logistic Council, in partnership with the Australian Government and private enterprise. The Council, which is chaired by DIER, continues to work on its established program of activities, as laid out in its strategic plan.
IRIS TASMANIA
The Infrastructure and Resource Information Service (IRIS) delivers an on-going, integrated view of Tasmania’s physical, economic and social infrastructure. IRIS is a strategic resource for the facilitation of e-government targeted at investors, developers and planners.
The service is delivered via the Internet at http://www.iris.tas.gov.au, a single entry point to information about infrastructure, resources and development processes in Tasmania. IRIS eliminates data replication and does not require data managers to change the way that information is stored, yet it enables researchers to discover and access relevant information, however and wherever it may be stored.
The service includes a powerful suite of tools for application development, content creation and management. This approach means new, related applications can be developed and hosted rapidly using standard reusable parts, with significant cost savings.
The Service comprises a multi-lingual integrated suite of eight applications including:
IRIS Attractor – the principal web site providing high level information about Tasmania and access to over 40,000 resources through a powerful whole of government search facility.
BizTas - a free on-line directory of registered Tasmanian businesses and organisations.
The Tasmanian Data Directory (TDD) - a whole of government metadata repository for the Tasmanian Government. It enables researchers to find the contact for, and other key information about, potential data sources.
IRIS Maps - provides real-time, themed maps of Tasmania. Each map has been customised for specific audiences and seamlessly combines data from multiple sources.
IRIS Steps - enables Government Agencies to publish on the internet the steps required for any specific process, such as an Application for a Planning Permit under a Planning Scheme.
Additional Achievements for 2003/04
During 2003 IRIS Tasmania published:
64 self maintaining business directories for all Online Access Centres branded with their look and feel;
8 self maintaining business directories based on local council boundaries;
3 self mintaining business directories for the North, North-West and South; and
The DevTas directory designed to hold details of all development sites in the State.
IRIS extended the functionality of the Manufacturing Capabilities Register and published the following specialised directories:
Tasmanian Exporters GuideEnvironmental Industries Directory
Gift, Homeware and Crafts Guide
Mineral Resources Tasmania Register
Food and Beverage Guide
IRIS integrated data from the Commonwealth Business Entry Point.
The service has received both State and National recognition. IRIS Tasmania won the National Government Technology Productivity Gold Award and also the Australian Institute of Project Management Achievement Award (Highly Commended) in 2003.
Community Awareness Activities
During the year IRIS Tasmania had a continuous program of publicity, including advertising in the Mercury, promotional material available at a number of government offices such as Service Tasmania and Online Access Centres, representation at conferences, presentations to invited audiences and distribution of marketing materials to the following:
Central Coast Chamber of Comm
Central Coast Council
Central Coast Council Information Centre
Home Ideas Centre Hobart
Home Ideas Centre Launceston
ICT Conference, Wrest Point
Manufacturing Industry Conference
Royal Institute of Engineers
Service Tasmania
Tasmanian Business Reporter
Ulverstone Show
Western Herald
STATISTICAL INFORMATION
The chart shows unique Visitor Session growth till May 2004, the last month for which information is available.
IRIS now combines and presents over 40,000 pieces of information from State, Federal and Local governments as well as some private sector sources. Information is kept up to date by more than 3,000 contributors. During April 2004 more than 32,000 unique visitor sessions were recorded.
The BizTas application contains details of approximately 3,000 businesses and more than 28,000 registered business names.
SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MAY 2004
IRIS Tasmania
| Total Hits | 382,450 |
| Unique Visitors | 3,794 |
| Visitor Sessions | 9,596 |
BizTas
| Total Hits | 182,456 |
| Unique Visitors | 5,105 |
| Visitor Sessions | 17,961 |
Tasmanian Data Directory
| Total Hits | 37,165 |
| Unique Visitors | 260 |
| Visitor Sessions | 615 |
IRIS Metadata
| Total Hits | 26,624 |
| Unique Visitors | 127 |
| Visitor Sessions | 310 |
PASSENGER TRANSPORT POLICY
Passenger Transport Reference Group
The Passenger Transport Reference Group continued to function during 2003/04. The group provides an end user consultation mechanism for public transport throughout the State. The Group has representation from Tasmanians with Disabilities, Multicultural Tasmania, Women Tasmania, Youth Network of Tasmania, Local Government Association of Tasmania, Tourism Tasmania, TasCOSS and the Council on the Ageing. During the period, the Group met to receive information and provide feedback on a number of projects. This included considering a draft questionnaire to be used as part of research undertaken to identify the priorities for users of public transport in the Greater Hobart area.
Review of Taxi Industry Act
In November 2003 major amendments were successfully introduced to the Taxi and Luxury Hire Car Industries Act 1995, as required under the National Competition Policy (NCP).
The amendments resulted in the reduction of barriers to new entrants into the taxi industry and facilitated price competition and service innovation within the taxi industry. In particular, the amendments provided new services for those in the community who are disabled and dependent upon taxis for their transport.
This section of the community has had very limited access to taxi services in the evenings or at weekends and often has to pre-book days in advance. The amendments will encourage operators to introduce new Wheelchair Accessible Taxis to ensure that a timely and affordable taxi service is available to all, and thus discharge the industry's obligation under the Disability Discrimination Act.
Taxi Camera Legislation
With the support of the Taxi Industry Association of Tasmania, the Department has worked to finalise the technical, operational and administrative procedures to facilitate the mandatory introduction of taxi security cameras in the Hobart, Launceston, Devonport, Ulverstone and Burnie taxi areas.
Five taxi camera system manufacturers have declared that their systems meet or exceed the minimum technical standards and have therefore been approved for installation in Tasmania. The minimum technical standards against which systems are assessed reflect the standards in place in a number of mainland states as well as proposed national standards.
Draft Regulations that specify the approved systems, as well as setting out procedures for the management of images captured by these systems, reached the final draft stage in late 2003. These Regulations were developed in close consultation with Tasmania Police and were subject to public scrutiny through a Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) process in December 2003/January 2004. Following the RIS process the Regulations were gazetted in early April 2004.
During the period, the Department continued to consult with those sections of the industry opposed to the mandatory introduction of cameras to explain why the introduction of security cameras should not be voluntary.
Wheelchair Accessible Taxis
Amendments to the Taxi and Luxury Hire Car Industries Act 1995 in November 2003 resulted in the creation of wheelchair-accessible taxi (WAT) licences. The WAT licences have been developed after consultation with industry and the disabled community to address Tasmania’s responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 for the response times for wheelchair accessible taxis to be equivalent to that of standard taxis by 2008.
WAT legislation has been designed to enable operators to introduce quality vehicles that will be permitted to provide services for both the general public and wheelchair passengers. This will differ from the current segregated accessible taxi-style service provided by specialised vehicles that are unable to operate as a standard taxi.
With WAT taxis being capable of providing a service for all taxi users, it is believed that these vehicles will see an increase in the availability of accessible transport services for wheelchair-reliant passengers, particularly in off-peak periods.
The initial release of WAT licences will see 33 licences made available over the next two years divided between Hobart (20), Launceston (9), Burnie (2) and Devonport (2). WAT licences will eventually be available in all Tasmanian taxi areas. The licences will be available at zero cost with only a small administration fee payable.
Bus Industry Reviews
The Passenger Transport (Transitional) Regulations 2000 require that a review of Core Regular Passenger Transport (RPT) services be undertaken within a transitional period which is scheduled to conclude on 26 June 2005. Services to be reviewed include Metro Tasmania, core RPT services and school bus services. During the period the Department undertook significant preparatory and analytical work with a view to the Review beginning in the second half of 2004.
Studies into Attributes of Public Transport Systems
In response to the findings of a preliminary needs analysis consultancy conducted in 2002/03, the Department has been active in improving understanding of the bus system features which would be best suited for Tasmanian metropolitan areas. A consultancy conducted to determine the optimal network design concluded that a simpler network running services on high frequency timetables had many customer benefits. The study was followed by customer research into bus service attributes, where customers, via market research, were asked to identify optimal features of a bus system and the associated priorities. Analysis of findings continues.
Analysis of Customer Needs in Metropolitan Areas
Following a needs analysis in 2002/03 the Department was able to take key needs, gather additional data which determines the attractiveness of bus services and then model the total need for bus services on a suburb-by-suburb and/or route-by-route basis. The understanding of customer needs, in particular for those passengers known as transport-disadvantaged, then led to the development of potential standards for metropolitan bus services. Work is now focused on analysis of current bus services and comparing current services to quantified needs. The end result will allow the Department to determine standards and define core services in metropolitan areas around the State.
