Albanese government scraps plan to cut rural speed limits after widespread backlash
The Albanese government has taken an unexpected step in its push to lower speed limits in rural areas following a torrent of criticism, including from its own ranks.
The Albanese government has abandoned a proposal to cut rural speed limits to as low as 70 kilometres an hour after the idea proved so unpopular that even Labor MPs were against it.
A reduction from 100km/h for country roads with no sign posts was being considered as part of a national ‘safety action plan’ following an increase in crash deaths.
The proposal was already controversial when a departmental consultation document added more heat by suggesting there would also be a “carbon benefit” because driving more slowly would use less fuel.
Motoring groups, councils and farmers all panned the idea.
The NRMA said it did not believe enough evidence had been presented to warrant a change in the model Australian Road Rules, which states and territories use to frame their own regulations.
The Local Government Association said there would be a “massive implementation burden” — from signage to enforcement.
And the agriculture sector warned travel times and fatigue risks would blow out.
“You don’t fix bad roads by slowing people down, that’s the lazy option,” Grain Producers SA chief executive Brad Perry said: “Invest in fixing the roads instead.”
A spokeswoman for the federal Transport Minister, Labor’s Catherine King, said that at a meeting on Friday “states and territories raised concerns to a blanket approach to speed limits and reiterated their responsibility for setting speed limits in their jurisdictions.
“All ministers agreed to ensure no further work would be done to progress it,” Ms King’s spokeswoman added.
Prior to that decision, federal Labor senator for Tasmania Helen Polley broke ranks to oppose a reduction.
“I think common sense has prevailed,” Senator Polley told this masthead after the ministers’ meeting.
The better approach was driver education and more funding for road maintenance, Senator Polley said.
In a further criticism from the Labor side of politics, NSW Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison had earlier flagged that the Minns state government was not in favour of a cut.
This week Queensland Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg told this masthead he “had made it very clear” the Crisafulli Liberal National state government was against a blanket reduction.
“One-size-fits-all policy decisions made by people … who don’t understand local conditions or considerations aren’t the answer,” Mr Mickelberg said.
Federal Nationals senator for Queensland Matt Canavan said: “I’d support anything that can deliver safer outcomes but this proposal was hijacked by a net zero agenda seeking to lower speed limits to lower carbon emissions.”
“I don’t support setting our speed limits based on climate change agreements,” Senator Canavan said.
Minister King’s spokeswoman said work on lowering speed limits began when the federal Liberal and National parties were in power.
A National Road Safety Plan published in 2018, when the Coalition was in office, said there should be “increased application of lower speed limits.”
Asked about that, then transport minister, Nationals MP Michael McCormack, said: “There was never any suggestion at the time that we were going to implement this.”
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Originally published as Albanese government scraps plan to cut rural speed limits after widespread backlash
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