Aus Link - History

History

AusLink was first proposed in a Green Paper, issued in November 2002. In response 550 submissions were lodged by State and Local Governments, Industry, Environment Groups, Tertiary Education and Research Groups, Bicycle Groups and interested members of the public. In May 2004 the Australian Government issued a White Paper, setting out the policy to be adopted by the Government in response.

The White Paper states that AusLink is based on better long-term planning, encouragement of the best ideas and solutions and targeting investment to achieve the best outcomes for people, the national economy, regions and communities and that it has the following core components:

• a defined National Network (superseding the former National Highway system) of important road and rail infrastructure links and their intermodal connections;
• the National Land Transport Plan which outlines the Government's approach to improving and integrating the National Network and the investments it will make;
• a single funding regime, under a new AusLink programme, for the National Network
• separately earmarked funding for local and regional transport improvements;
• new legislative, intergovernmental and institutional mechanisms.

AusLink was administered under the AusLink (National Land Transport) Act 2005, until the 2005 legislation was superseded by the Infrastructure Australia Act 2008, the Nation Building and Jobs Plan (State Infrastructure Delivery) Act 2009, the Nation-building Funds Act 2008 and the Nation Building Program (National Land Transport) Act 2009.

This new 2009 law affects Auslink because it includes in detail:

• A "stimulus package";
• Integrated transport modelling;
• A nation building agenda and;
• A framework dealing with the funding (such as funding grants for local Councils)