NSW is investing an additional $30 million to expand the Future Mobility Testing and Research Centre (FMTRC) in Cudal.
The small facility near Orange, in central west NSW, was once an airport and the home of Hazelton Airlines, which later became REX Airlines.
The centre – supposedly the only government-owned and operated testing centre of its kind in the world – officially opened in 2019 with a $10 million investment from the state government.
But it quickly reached maximum capacity from private companies wanting to test emerging vehicle technology.
“The need for a new heavy vehicle testing space in the southern hemisphere was a key finding from extensive engagement with vehicle manufacturers, developers and researchers to map the future for the Cudal site,” said NSW Minister for Roads John Graham.
The $30 million investment – funded through the Community Road Safety Fund – follows the purchase of 100 hectares of farmland adjacent to the existing site.
Planned works will include the expansion and construction of a 4.4km loop track, as well as a new heavy vehicle skid pad.
This will support the team in increasing safety testing and research. This work involves enacting real-world scenarios at the centre to test vehicle safety features that help prevent crashes.
Since being established in 2019 the facility has delivered more than 85 test and research programs.
Transport for NSW said it will now begin planning and community consultation for the design of the new loop track, with construction set to commence in 2025.
“That will enable us to do testing of heavy vehicles, to test their safety, critical and autonomous techology and other aspects of that technology to ensure that it does work as it’s supposed to,” said NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison.
“We want everyone who uses our road network to come home safely, particularly our heavy vehicle drivers who are on the road for the vast majority of their working lives.”