Transport taskforce to develop better plan for the future

A Moving People 2030 Taskforce will report in October on its vision for an active and productive Australia in 2030.

It will focus on planning, land use and transport and lay out how governments can achieve this.

The taskforce's formation was announced on Wednesday night at an industry dinner attended by Transport Minister Anthony Albanese and Nationals leader Warren Truss.

Bus Industry Confederation executive director Michael Apps said the group wanted to see national, non-partisan leadership to keep Australia one of the best countries in the world in which to live.

"This taskforce is looking at a whole of system approach to how we build infrastructure, how people are able to move, how we move goods, and how we better integrate our spatial planning systems with good transport systems and services," Apps said in a statement.

The taskforce will look at active transport like walking and cycling as well as public transport.

Albanese said his department was preparing a paper on active transport.

"If we are successful, the added benefit of almost every bus and train journey starting and ending with a walking or cycling trip will mean that many commuters will meet their daily 30 minute of exercise requirement," he told the dinner in Canberra.

Rail and cycling interests are also represented in the group.

Australasian Railway Association CEO Bryan Nye expected the taskforce would explore innovative funding arrangements and tax incentives to encourage greater public transport use across the country.

The taskforce will include representatives from the Australian Local Government Association, the Australian Logistics Council, the Australasian Railway Association, the Bus Industry Confederation, the Cycling Promotion Fund, the National

Heart Foundation, the International Association of Public Transport, the Planning Institute of Australia, and the Tourism and Transport Forum.