Transport Integration Act - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Transport Integration Act 2010 (the Act) is a law enacted by the Parliament of the State of Victoria

Parliament of Victoria

The Parliament of Victoria is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of Victoria. It follows a Westminster-derived parliamentary system and consists of The Queen, represented by the Governor of Victoria; the Legislative Council ; and the Legislative Assembly...

, Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. The Act is the prime transport statute

Statute

A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law, decided by courts, and regulations...

in Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

, having replaced major parts of the former Transport Act 1983

Transport Act 1983

The Transport Act 1983 was the main statute establishing government transport organisations and regulating land transport activities in the State of Victoria, Australia for 27 years from mid 1983 to mid 2010...

.

The purpose of the Transport Integration Act is to "...create a new framework for the provision of an integrated and sustainable transport system in Victoria...". The Act broadly seeks to unify all elements of the Victorian transport portfolio to ensure that transport and land use agencies work together towards the common goal of an integrated and sustainable transport system.

One commentator has opined that "(T) the Act is a leading example of modern and progressive principles-based legislation. It marked a fundamental shift away from detailed, prescriptive rules to higher level guidance and more flexible outcomes."

Outline

The Transport Integration Act has policy, planning, delivery and organisational elements.

The policy area of the Act contains a vision, objectives and principles for the transport system in Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

, making it clear that the transport system needs to be integrated and sustainable - in economic terms, in environmental terms and in social terms. The Act therefore establishes transport in Victoria as a triple bottom line

Triple bottom line

The triple bottom line captures an expanded spectrum of values and criteria for measuring organizational success: economic, ecological, and social...

issue.

The Act also consolidates and establishes most of the transport agencies in Victoria and applies its policy framework to those agencies and other non transport interface agencies whose planning and land use activities activities can have significant effects on the transport system.

The Act also formally adopts the Victorian Transport Plan

Victorian Transport Plan

The Victorian Transport Plan is a now defunct transport planning framework for the state of Victoria, Australia announced on Monday 9 December 2008 by then Premier of Victoria, John Brumby...

in law and requires Ministers to "periodically revise" the Plan. It also requires transport agencies to prepare corporate plans and to coordinate them with the central Department of Transport

Department of Transport (Victoria, Australia)

The Department of Transport or DOT is the central Government agency responsible for the coordination, integration and regulation of the transport system in the State of Victoria, Australia...

and any other affected transport agencies.

While comprehensive coverage of transport portfolio matters can be expected of a transport statute the most radical feature of the Transport Integration Act may be its reach into planning activities. David Withington observed that "(F) for the first time, the scope of the State's principal transport statute reaches beyond transport agencies to include "interface bodies" such as planning authorities and land managers".

The Commonwealth Department of Infrastructure and Transport has also commented that -

"Victoria has progressively modernised its transport legislation. The Transport Integration Act 2010, the new principal transport statute, sets out a vision, objectives and principles for transport, making it clear that the transport system needs to be integrated and sustainable. The Act requires transport agencies and other decision makers to have regard to broader social, economic and environmental considerations. It unites all elements of the transport portfolio to ensure that transport agencies work towards a common goal of an integrated transport system. It integrates land use and transport planning and decision making by extending the framework to land-use agencies whose decisions can significantly affect transport, including the government's planning functions, municipal councils, the Growth Area Authority and Parks Victoria".

Withington also observed that "(T) the Act is designed to encourage people to think - in a structured way - about the impacts of their decisions on the transport system. It is detailed enough to provide clear direction, but also flexible enough to accomodate agencies' different roles and responsibilities and a wide range of different circumstances".

Parts

The Transport Integration Act is divided into eight parts -

Preliminary
Vision statement, Objectives, Principles and Statements of Policy Principles
Administration (Ministers, Department of Transport
Department of Transport (Victoria, Australia)
The Department of Transport or DOT is the central Government agency responsible for the coordination, integration and regulation of the transport system in the State of Victoria, Australia...

, the Secretary, the Transport Infrastructure Development Agent)
Planning (Victorian Transport Plan
Victorian Transport Plan
The Victorian Transport Plan is a now defunct transport planning framework for the state of Victoria, Australia announced on Monday 9 December 2008 by then Premier of Victoria, John Brumby...

, Corporate plans)
Transport System Agencies (Director of Public Transport
Director of Public Transport
The Director of Public Transport is the Government agency responsible for promoting, providing, coordinating and regulating public transport in the State of Victoria, Australia...

, Roads Corporation
VicRoads
VicRoads or the Roads Corporation of Victoria is a statutory corporation which is the state road and traffic authority in the state of Victoria, Australia. It is responsible for maintenance and construction of the state arterial road network, as well as driver licensing and vehicle registration. ...

, Taxi Services Commission
Taxi Services Commission
The Taxi Services Commission is the independent Government agency responsible for conducting a major inquiry, the Taxi Industry Inquiry, into taxi and other small commercial passenger vehicle services in the State of Victoria, Australia...

)
Transport Corporations (Victorian Rail Track
VicTrack
VicTrack is the Victorian Government agency which owns all railway and tram lines, associated rail lands and other related rail-related infrastructure in the state of Victoria, Australia....

, V/Line Corporation
V/Line
V/Line is a not for profit regional passenger train and coach service in Victoria, Australia. It was created after the split-up of VicRail in 1983. V/Line is owned by the V/Line Corporation which is a Victorian State Government statutory authority...

, Linking Melbourne Authority, Port of Melbourne Corporation
Port of Melbourne Corporation
The Port of Melbourne Corporation is a statutory body established by the Victorian Government. The Corporation commenced operations on 1 July 2003, when it took over the management of the Port of Melbourne from Melbourne Port Corporation...

, Victorian Regional Channels Authority)
Transport Safety Agencies (Director, Transport Safety
Director, Transport Safety
The Director, Transport Safety is the independent Government agency responsible for rail, bus and marine safety in the State of Victoria, Australia. The position was created as a statutory office by the Transport Integration Act 2010...

and Chief Investigator, Transport Safety
Chief Investigator, Transport Safety
The Chief Investigator, Transport Safety is the independent Government agency responsible for investigation of safety-related trends and incidents in the rail, bus and marine industries in the State of Victoria, Australia. The position was created as a statutory office by the Transport...

)
General

Coverage

The coverage of the Act is broad and extends to all State-controlled transport activities including most land and water-based transport and some air transport activities.

Transport system activities

The Act applies to most State transport agencies and their activities through its coverage of Victoria's "transport system". Accordingly, it applies to things such as -

heavy and light rail systems including trains and trams
roads and vehicles including cars
CARS
Cars, or automobiles, motor cars, are wheeled motor vehicles used for transporting passengers.Cars or CARS may also refer to:-Entertainment:* Cars , a Disney/Pixar film series...

, truck
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...

s and bicycles
port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....

s and waterways including commercial ships and recreational vessels
air transport systems

"Transport system" is defined widely to include not only system infrastructure and conveyances, but also such things as -

communication systems and other technologies
strategic, business and operational plans
schedules, timetables and ticketing systems
labour components
service components

Land use and other activities affecting transport

The Transport Integration Act also seeks to integrate land use and transport planning and decision-making by extending the framework to land use agencies whose decisions can significantly impact on transport.

Accordingly, the Act can apply to the activities of a range of planning

Planning

Planning in organizations and public policy is both the organizational process of creating and maintaining a plan; and the psychological process of thinking about the activities required to create a desired goal on some scale. As such, it is a fundamental property of intelligent behavior...

, land use

Land use

Land use is the human use of land. Land use involves the management and modification of natural environment or wilderness into built environment such as fields, pastures, and settlements. It has also been defined as "the arrangements, activities and inputs people undertake in a certain land cover...

and other agencies.

Generally, the Transport Integration Act "...provides that planning authorities must have regard to the policy framework when preparing a Planning Scheme Amendment...which is 'likely to have a significant impact on the planning system' ".

Overarching status of Act

The Transport Integration Act has an overarching status in the hierarchy of Victoria's transport legislation

Legislation

Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...

. All other Victorian transport laws, including those relating to particular aspects of the regulation of trains, trams, roads, port

Port

A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....

s, transport projects and safety

Safety

Safety is the state of being "safe" , the condition of being protected against physical, social, spiritual, financial, political, emotional, occupational, psychological, educational or other types or consequences of failure, damage, error, accidents, harm or any other event which could be...

, are identified as "transport legislation" under the Act and are therefore captured by the framework and are subordinate to it.

The Act also sits above "interface legislation" in its application to interface bodies. That is, the Act captures the enabling legislation which creates and empowers the non transport agencies who have a significant impact on the transport system and requires those agencies to have regard to the key policy elements in the Act needed to guide sound transport and land use planning.

Transport agencies

The transport decision makers and agencies established and empowered by the Transport Integration Act include -

Ministers (currently the Minister for Roads and Ports and the Minister for Public Transport)
the Secretary of the Department of Transport
Department of Transport (Victoria, Australia)
The Department of Transport or DOT is the central Government agency responsible for the coordination, integration and regulation of the transport system in the State of Victoria, Australia...
the Department of Transport
Department of Transport (Victoria, Australia)
The Department of Transport or DOT is the central Government agency responsible for the coordination, integration and regulation of the transport system in the State of Victoria, Australia...
the Transport Infrastructure Development Agent
the Director of Public Transport
Director of Public Transport
The Director of Public Transport is the Government agency responsible for promoting, providing, coordinating and regulating public transport in the State of Victoria, Australia...
the Taxi Services Commission
Taxi Services Commission
The Taxi Services Commission is the independent Government agency responsible for conducting a major inquiry, the Taxi Industry Inquiry, into taxi and other small commercial passenger vehicle services in the State of Victoria, Australia...

(initially conducting the Taxi Industry Inquiry
Taxi Industry Inquiry
The Taxi Industry Inquiry is an inquiry being conducted in the State of Victoria, Australia by the Taxi Services Commission into the taxi industry and taxi services in that State. The Inquiry is headed by Professor Allan Fels, the former head of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission...

)
the Roads Corporation (VicRoads
VicRoads
VicRoads or the Roads Corporation of Victoria is a statutory corporation which is the state road and traffic authority in the state of Victoria, Australia. It is responsible for maintenance and construction of the state arterial road network, as well as driver licensing and vehicle registration. ...

)
Victorian Rail Track (VicTrack
VicTrack
VicTrack is the Victorian Government agency which owns all railway and tram lines, associated rail lands and other related rail-related infrastructure in the state of Victoria, Australia....

)
V/Line Corporation
V/Line
V/Line is a not for profit regional passenger train and coach service in Victoria, Australia. It was created after the split-up of VicRail in 1983. V/Line is owned by the V/Line Corporation which is a Victorian State Government statutory authority...
the Linking Melbourne Corporation
the Port of Melbourne Corporation
Port of Melbourne Corporation
The Port of Melbourne Corporation is a statutory body established by the Victorian Government. The Corporation commenced operations on 1 July 2003, when it took over the management of the Port of Melbourne from Melbourne Port Corporation...
the Victorian Regional Channels Authority
the Director, Transport Safety
Director, Transport Safety
The Director, Transport Safety is the independent Government agency responsible for rail, bus and marine safety in the State of Victoria, Australia. The position was created as a statutory office by the Transport Integration Act 2010...
the Chief Investigator, Transport Safety
Chief Investigator, Transport Safety
The Chief Investigator, Transport Safety is the independent Government agency responsible for investigation of safety-related trends and incidents in the rail, bus and marine industries in the State of Victoria, Australia. The position was created as a statutory office by the Transport...
Regional Rail Link Authority (added on 28 October 2010 by Order made under the Act)

The Act requires Victorian transport agencies - including the Director of Public Transport

Director of Public Transport

The Director of Public Transport is the Government agency responsible for promoting, providing, coordinating and regulating public transport in the State of Victoria, Australia...

, VicRoads

VicRoads

VicRoads or the Roads Corporation of Victoria is a statutory corporation which is the state road and traffic authority in the state of Victoria, Australia. It is responsible for maintenance and construction of the state arterial road network, as well as driver licensing and vehicle registration. ...

, the Port of Melbourne Corporation

Port of Melbourne Corporation

The Port of Melbourne Corporation is a statutory body established by the Victorian Government. The Corporation commenced operations on 1 July 2003, when it took over the management of the Port of Melbourne from Melbourne Port Corporation...

, VicTrack

VicTrack

VicTrack is the Victorian Government agency which owns all railway and tram lines, associated rail lands and other related rail-related infrastructure in the state of Victoria, Australia....

, V/Line

V/Line

V/Line is a not for profit regional passenger train and coach service in Victoria, Australia. It was created after the split-up of VicRail in 1983. V/Line is owned by the V/Line Corporation which is a Victorian State Government statutory authority...

and the Linking Melbourne Authority – to work collaboratively towards the common goal of an integrated and sustainable transport

Sustainable transport

Sustainable transport refers to any means of transport with low impact on the environment, and includes walking and cycling, transit oriented development, green vehicles, CarSharing, and building or protecting urban transport systems that are fuel-efficient, space-saving and promote healthy...

system.

Private transport operators

The Act does not apply directly to the private entities contracted to provide metropolitan passenger rail and tram

Tram

A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...

services, nor does it apply to metropolitan and regional bus

Bus

A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...

operators. However, State transport agencies must have regard to the framework under the Act when exercising statutory functions in relation to these private transport operators (including contract management).

Interface agencies

The interface decision makers and agencies affected by the Transport Integration Act include -

relevant Ministers including the Minister for Planning
the Department of Planning and Community Development
the Growth Areas Authority
the Department of Sustainability and Environment
Parks Victoria
Parks Victoria
-Department:Parks Victoria was established in December 1996 as a statutory authority, reporting to the Minister for Environment and Climate Change. The Parks Victoria Act 1998 makes Parks Victoria responsible for managing national parks, reserves and other land under the control of the state,...
Major Projects Victoria
VicUrban
VicUrban
VicUrban is an agency of the Victorian Government responsible for overseeing sustainable development in Victoria, Australia. It is intended to support planning policies such as Melbourne 2030 and acts as a land developer with a 12% market share in land sales...
municipal councils

The Act requires that the interface agencies, including land use

Land use

agencies, take account of the new Act and its policy directions when making decisions that are likely to have a significant impact on the transport system.

Importantly, the Transport Integration Act supports and assists the implementation of The Victorian Transport Plan

Victorian Transport Plan

The Victorian Transport Plan is a now defunct transport planning framework for the state of Victoria, Australia announced on Monday 9 December 2008 by then Premier of Victoria, John Brumby...

Policy framework

The centrepiece of the Transport Integration Act is the high level policy framework

Policy framework

A policy framework is a logical structure that is established to organize policy documentation into groupings and categories that make it easier for employees to find and understand the contents of various policy documents...

contained in Part 2. The key features of the policy framework are a vision for the transport system, six transport system objectives and seven decision making principles. The core of the policy framework is drawn from the principles of sustainability

Sustainability

Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...

as applied to the transport sector. The framework recognises that transport is part of a broader policy goal

Goal

A goal is an objective, or a projected computation of affairs, that a person or a system plans or intends to achieve.Goal, GOAL or G.O.A.L may also refer to:Sport...

of achieving sustainable development

Sustainable development

Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...

, both locally and globally.

Vision

The vision statement in the Act provides that "(T) the Parliament recognises the aspirations of Victorians for an integrated and sustainable transport system that contributes to an inclusive, prosperous and environmentally responsible State."

Transport system objectives

The transport system objectives in the Act cover the following matters -

social and economic inclusion
economic prosperity
environmental sustainability
integration of transport and land use
efficiency, coordination and reliability
safety
Safety
Safety is the state of being "safe" , the condition of being protected against physical, social, spiritual, financial, political, emotional, occupational, psychological, educational or other types or consequences of failure, damage, error, accidents, harm or any other event which could be...

and health and wellbeing

Decision making principles

The decision making principles cover the following matters -

integrated decision making
triple bottom line
Triple bottom line
The triple bottom line captures an expanded spectrum of values and criteria for measuring organizational success: economic, ecological, and social...

assessment
equity
transport system user perspective
precautionary principle
Precautionary principle
The precautionary principle or precautionary approach states that if an action or policy has a suspected risk of causing harm to the public or to the environment, in the absence of scientific consensus that the action or policy is harmful, the burden of proof that it is not harmful falls on those...
stakeholder engagement
Stakeholder engagement
Stakeholder engagement is the process by which an organisation involves people who may be affected by the decisions it makes or can influence the implementation of its decisions...

and community participation
transparency

Applying the framework

In broad terms, transport agencies and interface agencies caught by the Act must have regard to the objectives and principles when exercising their powers and performing their functions. The weight to be given to each objective and principle is not prescribed and is a matter to be determined by the relevant agency.

Effect of the framework

The vision statement in the Act is drawn on in the purpose of the Transport Integration Act. The vision statement and transport system objectives are also relevant to the charters and therefore the legal powers of each transport agency established under the Act.

Each transport agency is required to pursue its statutory object consistent with the vision and the objectives.

Adherence to the Act can generally be pursued through administrative law

Administrative law

Administrative law is the body of law that governs the activities of administrative agencies of government. Government agency action can include rulemaking, adjudication, or the enforcement of a specific regulatory agenda. Administrative law is considered a branch of public law...

avenues including merits review in some cases. However, the Act does not create a civil cause of action.

Development of the Act

The underlying policy

Policy

A policy is typically described as a principle or rule to guide decisions and achieve rational outcome. The term is not normally used to denote what is actually done, this is normally referred to as either procedure or protocol...

for the Transport Integration Act was in development for some years before it was presented to the Victorian Parliament as a Bill

Bill (proposed law)

A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....

for scrutiny, debate and passage.

The proposal was developed as part of Victoria's Transport Legislation Review
Transport Legislation Review
The Transport Legislation Review was a policy and legislation review project conducted by the Department of Transport in the State of Victoria, Australia between 2004 and 2010....

, a review of transport policy and legislation across the State.

In 2007, after several years work the Department of Transport

Department of Transport (Victoria, Australia)

The Department of Transport or DOT is the central Government agency responsible for the coordination, integration and regulation of the transport system in the State of Victoria, Australia...

released a discussion paper outlining a policy proposal for a new Transport Integration Bill for Victoria. An extensive stakeholder consultation process followed throughout Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

and regional Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

. The Transport Legislation Review: Stakeholder Feedback Summary aimed to reflect the key views held by stakeholders. Released in 2008, it drew on formal submissions as comments made at workshops, forums and briefings during the community engagement

Community engagement

Community engagement refers to the process by which community benefit organizations and individuals build ongoing, permanent relationships for the purpose of applying a collective vision for the benefit of a community...

program.

The two-year stakeholder and community consultation process informed the development of the Bill

Bill (proposed law)

proposal, culminating in the release in July 2009 of the Policy Statement Towards an integrated and sustainable transport future: a new legislative framework for transport in Victoria.

Transport Integration Bill

The Act

Act of Parliament

An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...

originated as the Transport Integation Bill. The Bill was introduced into the lower house

Lower house

A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house.Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide the lower house has come to wield more power...

of the Victorian Parliament (the Legislative Assembly) on 8 December 2009 by the Hon Lynne Kosky

Lynne Kosky

Lynne Janice Kosky is a former Australian politician and senior minister in the Parliament of Victoria. She represented the electoral district of Altona in the Victorian Legislative Assembly for the Australian Labor Party from 1996 to 2010...

MP, the then Minister for Public Transport.

Second reading for the Bill

Bill (proposed law)

was moved on 10 December 2009.

The Bill

Bill (proposed law)

was eventually debated and passed by the Legislative Assembly

Legislative Assembly

Legislative Assembly is the name given in some countries to either a legislature, or to one of its branch.The name is used by a number of member-states of the Commonwealth of Nations, as well as a number of Latin American countries....

without opposition on 4 February 2010. The Bill

Bill (proposed law)

was introduced immediately into the upper house

Upper house

An upper house, often called a senate, is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house; a legislature composed of only one house is described as unicameral.- Possible specific characteristics :...

of the Victorian Parliament (the Legislative Council) and second reading moved on the same day by the Hon Martin Pakula

Martin Pakula

Martin Philip Pakula is an Australian politician, and a member of the Victorian Legislative Council. He was Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Public Transport in the Labor Government of Premier John Brumby.-Early life:...

MLC who had succeeded Lynne Kosky

Lynne Kosky

as Minister for Public Transport in the period since the Bill's introduction.

The Transport Integration Bill was ultimately passed without opposition by the Legislative Council

Legislative Council

A Legislative Council is the name given to the legislatures, or one of the chambers of the legislature of many nations and colonies.A Member of the Legislative Council is commonly referred to as an MLC.- Unicameral legislatures :...

on 23 February 2010. The Bill

Bill (proposed law)

then received the Royal Assent

Royal Assent

The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...

to become an Act on 2 March 2010.

The Transport Integration Act was subsequently proclaimed to commence on 1 July 2010.

Ports Integration Bill

The "port corporations", the Port of Melbourne Corporation

Port of Melbourne Corporation

, the Port of Hastings Corporation and the Victorian Regional Channels Authority were originally not included in the Bill

Bill (proposed law)

proposal and were added later to the Transport Integration Act scheme by the Transport Legislation Amendment (Ports Integration) Bill 2010 (Ports Integration Bill).

The Ports Integration Bill merged the Port of Melbourne Corporation

Port of Melbourne Corporation

and the Port of Hastings Corporation under a rebadged Port of Melbourne Corporation

Port of Melbourne Corporation

banner. The Ports Integration Bill was proclaimed to commence on 1 September 2010. This formally brought the Port of Melbourne Corporation

Port of Melbourne Corporation

and the Victorian Regional Channels Authority within the Transport Integration Act framework on that date.

The merger of the Port of Melbourne Corporation and the Port of Hastings Corporation is being reversed - see future developments below.

Changes to the Act

The major changes made to the Transport Integration Act since its passage have been made by the Ports Integration Bill (see above), the Climate Change Act 2010 and the Transport Legislation Amendment (Taxi Services Reform and Other Matters) Act 2011

Transport Legislation Amendment (Taxi Services Reform and Other Matters) Act 2011

The Transport Legislation Amendment 2011 is a law enacted by the Parliament of the State of Victoria, Australia to support major reform of taxi services and other small commercial passenger vehicle services in that State.The Act makes changes to the Transport Integration Act 2010 and the...

(the Taxi Reform Act).

The Climate Change Act was passed on 3 September 2010 and received the Royal Assent

Royal Assent

The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...

on 14 September 2010.

The Climate Change Act amended the environmental sustainability objective contained in the transport system system objectives in the Transport Integration Act. The amendment changed that objective by providing that the transport system should actively contribute to the reduction of the overall contribution of transport-related greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the change require relevant agencies to have regard to preparing for and adapting to the challenges presented by climate change

Climate change

Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...

.

The Climate Change Act (including its changes to the Transport Integration Act) commenced on 1 July 2011.

The other major change to the Transport Integration Act was made by the Taxi Reform Act

Transport Legislation Amendment (Taxi Services Reform and Other Matters) Act 2011

which changed the former to create a new Taxi Services Commission

Taxi Services Commission

The Taxi Services Commission is the independent Government agency responsible for conducting a major inquiry, the Taxi Industry Inquiry, into taxi and other small commercial passenger vehicle services in the State of Victoria, Australia...

on 19 July 2011. The changes create the Commission as an inquiry body in first instance charged with conducting the Taxi Industry Inquiry

Taxi Industry Inquiry

The Taxi Industry Inquiry is an inquiry being conducted in the State of Victoria, Australia by the Taxi Services Commission into the taxi industry and taxi services in that State. The Inquiry is headed by Professor Allan Fels, the former head of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission...

, a major inquiry into the taxi industry and taxi services in Victoria headed by Professor Allan Fels

Allan Fels

Professor Allan Fels is an Australian economist, lawyer and public servant. He was most widely known in his role as chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission from its inception in 1995 until 30 June 2003...

. The Taxi Reform Act also makes changes to the Transport Integration Act to establish the Taxi Services Commission

Taxi Services Commission

in a subsequent phase as the ongoing taxi industry regulator in Victoria in place of the current regulator, the Director of Public Transport

Director of Public Transport

The Director of Public Transport is the Government agency responsible for promoting, providing, coordinating and regulating public transport in the State of Victoria, Australia...

. These additional changes will come into force once the Taxi Industry Inquiry

Taxi Industry Inquiry

concludes.

Future developments

A new Victorian Government was elected in late November 2010 under Premier Ted Baillieu

Ted Baillieu

Edward Norman "Ted" Baillieu MLA is an Australian politician. He is currently the Premier of Victoria and the member for the Legislative Assembly seat of Hawthorn...

. There are two current proposals being pursued by the Government which will make substantial changes to the Transport Integration Act.

Public Transport Development Authority

A key policy of the Government leading into the election was to create a Public Transport Development Authority (PTDA). The Government has positioned the VTDA as an agency which will be independent and coordinate all aspects of public transport in Victoria.

The Government has indicated that the authority will plan, co-ordinate, manage and administer metropolitan trams, buses and trains, regional trains and buses, replacing the current structure of multiple agencies. Planning for the Melbourne Airport, Rowville and Doncaster rail lines may be overseen by the new transport authority..

Legislation to establish the Public Transport Development Authority - the Transport Legislation Amendment (Public Transport Development Authority) Bill 2011 - is currently being considered by the Victorian Parliament and is expected to be passed and enacted by late 2011.

Port of Hastings Development Authority

The Victorian Government is reversing the merger of the Port of Melbourne Corporation (PMC) and the Port of Hastings Corporation which occurred in late 2010. The Government through Ports Minister Dr Denis Napthine

Denis Napthine

Denis Vincent Napthine is an Australian politician for the Liberal Party in the state of Victoria. He is a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, representing the electoral district of South-West Coast.- Early life :...

presented legislation to the Victorian Parliament - the Transport Legislation (Port of Hastings Development Authority) Act 2011 - to establish a Port of Hastings Development Authority (POHDA) to oversee the development of the port as a competitor in container trade to the PMC. The legislation was passed by Parliament on 16 August 2011 but is not yet in force. The default date for the commencement of the new Act and hence the establishment of the POHDA within the Transport Integration Act framework is 1 January 2012.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Outline

Parts

Coverage

Transport system activities

Land use and other activities affecting transport

Overarching status of Act

Transport agencies

Private transport operators

Interface agencies

Policy framework

Vision

Transport system objectives

Decision making principles

Applying the framework

Effect of the framework

Development of the Act

Transport Integration Bill

Ports Integration Bill

Changes to the Act

Future developments

Public Transport Development Authority

Port of Hastings Development Authority

See also

External links