Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan has slammed a proposal from the Labor Government. The proposal is to lower the default speed limit on regional roads from 100 to 70 kilometres per hour. He warns the move would cripple productivity and unfairly target regional Australians.
The plan, outlined in the Government’s Regulatory Impact Statement, argues that reducing speeds will cut fuel consumption and help lower greenhouse gas emissions. This is part of Labor’s strategy to meet its net zero by 2050 target.
Mr Hogan said the proposal shows how out of touch Labor is with the needs of regional communities.
“Instead of fixing the roads we rely on, Labor’s answer is to slow people down,” Mr Hogan said.
“Families, farmers, freight operators and tradies in the bush are being punished. This is to make Labor look good at a climate conference. They’re treating regional Australians as the easy target for their net zero experiments.”
Regional Productivity at Risk
Mr Hogan warned the proposed speed cuts would have major consequences for regional productivity and everyday life.
“This would be a 30 per cent cut in productivity for every farmer, truckie, tradie and small business that depends on these roads,” he said.
“It means longer trips, higher fuel bills and higher costs for every household.”
He described the plan as a “bureaucratic quick fix”. It fails to recognise how vital regional roads are for work, family life and freight.
“Mums and dads driving kids to school, families heading to sport, freight operators moving our food and fibre — they’ll all pay the price,” Mr Hogan said.
Call for Practical Solutions
The Page MP said instead of imposing slower limits, the Government should focus on upgrading and maintaining regional roads. This would make travel safer and more efficient.
“If Labor really cared about reducing emissions and improving safety, they’d invest in better road surfaces and regional infrastructure — not slow everyone down,” he said.
The proposal remains under review. However, regional representatives across Australia have voiced similar concerns. They argue that any sweeping change to rural speed limits would hurt productivity, inflate freight costs, and place further strain on families and small businesses.
