1. Rail Reform with the NTC
Stuart Hicks
Chairman, National Road Transport Commission
Chairman-elect, National Transport Commission

2. Two Questions What the National Transport Commission is
What we plan to do (with your help)

3. Question One - the NTC

4. The NRTC Review NTC created following NRTC review
Reforms worth at least $400 million
Road freight productivity
Expanded into rail and intermodal arenas

5. NTC Legislation & Agreement
September 2003
Jointly owned by nine Australian governments
Seamless transition January 2004
Doing it

6. NTC’s Influence Controls only its own processes
Is not a transport regulator
“Broker” role
NTC Vision
Doesn’t tell governments what to do

7. A secret weapon
Robust Process

8. Key Characteristics of the Process
Prioritised, agreed, achievable timetable
Highly consultative
Rigorous analysis
Regulatory Impact Statements (RIS)
Decision-making mechanism for action

9. Modus Operandi
Approach
Small full-time team
Six Commissioners

10. Question Two

11. NTC’s approach to Rail Lead transport regulatory reform
Focus on safety and efficiency outcomes
Pragmatic approach

12. An eye for the detail ...

13. Regulatory Reform
The challenges of a federal system
A misapprehension

14. A view of the NTC A government body
With a predilection towards regulation…

15. NTC’s Remit
“Develop, monitor, maintain uniform and nationally consistent regulatory and operational reforms…”
NTC Act 2003

16. “Rail Regulatory Reform”
Does not mean more regulation
Progressive reform must look at:
alternatives to regulatory regime
reducing amount of regulations
improving regulations
making regulations nationally consistent

17. Regulatory Reform Drivers
Three key preoccupations ...

18. 1. Minimising ‘dotted line’ problems
Removing anomalies and inefficiencies
National consistency for driver only operations
Opportunities for Mutual Jurisdictional Recognition

19. 2. Prioritisation Not solving everything overnight Runs on the board
Establishing a way to move forward together
Not change for its own sake
Ensuring regulations are fit for purpose

20. 3. Defining the Co-Regulatory Framework
Who is responsible for what?
How?
What constitutes success?
Understanding government processes

21. Long and Short-term - Utopia and Reality
Framework for co-regulation
Turn this into a set of guidelines
Make sure it’s practical
Process can be as important as the content

22. Marching under banners

23. NTC Work Program for Rail
Outcomes from the program that will benefit industry include:
Defined co-regulatory framework
Fitness for duty guidelines
Robust processes for mutual recognition
Recommended approach for “one stop shop”

24. Concluding Comments

25. The Rail Industry A tough business Differing agendas
Find space for us please
Nothing simple?

26. The NTC and the ARA We welcome the new ARA
We hope it will be more than a “lobby” group
We have agreed working arrangements
We need to be open to all views
We will focus on priority issues