In its recent submission on truck charges, the Australian Trucking Association is calling on the Australian Government to halve the road user charge on diesel that’s used in remote areas.
According to the ATA, this would save remote area trucking operators an extra 14.4 cents per litre on the cost of diesel, based on the July 1, 2023 road user charge rate.
“Businesses serving remote communities cannot afford the fuel prices and charges that they pay now. They do not receive value for the charges they pay, for the quality of roads in remote Australia is extremely poor,” the submission said.
“High fuel prices and charges are a major contributor to the high cost of food in remote communities, where the cost of freight can be as high as 20.4 per cent of sales.”
The ATA says the remote area road user charge would apply to the same area as the Services Australia remote area allowance.
On July 1, the government increased the road user charge on diesel from 27.2 cents per litre to 28.8 cents per litre. As a result, the fuel tax credit rate for diesel used in eligible trucks on public roads decreased to 18.9 cents per litre.