Treasurer Tim Pallas and Roads and Road Safety Minister Ben Carroll today announced the outcome of the 15-month VicRoads Modernisation process that included consultation with VicRoads workers, unions, motorists groups and other stakeholders.
Following competitive and robust market engagement a consortium of Aware Super, Australian Retirement Trust and Macquarie Asset Management was selected to deliver the VicRoads Modernisation process, bringing benefits to individuals and businesses — including upgraded customer service systems, better Custom Plates services and user-friendly registration and licensing.
The joint venture is a 40-year partnership in which the government retains ownership of VicRoads, while generating $7.9 billion in upfront proceeds for the state, which will be invested in the new Victorian Future Fund to help manage our pandemic debt.
The government has also delivered on its commitment to protect the jobs of existing VicRoads employees, while creating up to 80 new jobs to oversee the partnership, support the IT modernisation process and bolster the government’s road safety role.
Continued ownership of VicRoads by the government will ensure control over regulation and policy, data and privacy provisions and pricing of essential fees, with information to remain secure and stored in Australia.
Independent integrity bodies, including the Victorian Ombudsman and the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner, will continue to provide oversight.
The government will immediately deliver benefits for Victorian drivers through a package that will slash licensing and online testing costs and reward safe driver behaviour.
Under the changes, learners and probationary licences as well as online testing will be made free. Aspiring drivers and riders will save up to $51.40 in learner licensing and online testing fees. While probationary drivers will save up to $133.30 in probationary license and online hazard-perception testing fees.
Safe drivers who have not incurred demerit points or committed road safety offences in the three years prior to their licence expiring, will be rewarded with the reintroduction of a 25 per cent discount on their licence renewal.
The VicRoads Registration and Licensing business maintains registers of more than six million vehicle operators and five million driver licence holders, including cars, motorcycles, heavy vehicles and boats.
