MONDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2025

Australia’s Transport Sector Net Zero Roadmap: Progress, Alignment, and Opportunities for Improvement

The Australian Government’s release of the Transport and Infrastructure Net Zero Roadmap and Action Plan marks a significant step in the nation’s efforts to decarbonise the transport sector. The Transport Professionals Association (TPA) has reviewed the plan and found that it aligns closely with many of the priorities and recommendations raised in its Net Zero Roadmap Submission.

VIEW OUR ANALYSIS HERE

The Transport Professionals Association acknowledges the significant progress made in the Transport and Infrastructure Net Zero Roadmap and Action Plan. The plan addresses most of the association’s recommendations, particularly in its frameworks, investment priorities, modal decarbonisation pathways, infrastructure actions, and governance structures.

However, to fully realise Australia’s Net Zero ambitions, TPA urges the Government to set explicit mode shift targets, implement stronger disincentives for car use, and further integrate transport and land use planning. As CEO Kirsty Kelly concludes, “Australia’s transport emissions remain among the highest in the developed world. To meet our Net Zero commitments, we must be bold in setting mode shift targets, reforming road pricing, and making sustainable travel the easy, attractive, and affordable choice for all Australians.”

The Transport Professionals Association looks forward to working with government, industry, and the community to deliver on the promise of the Net Zero Roadmap and ensure that Australia’s transport system is fit for a sustainable, healthy, and prosperous future.

Australia’s Transport System at a Crossroads: Climate Risk & Decarbonisation

Australia’s first National Climate Risk Assessment (2025) highlights the urgent risks facing our transport systems from climate change:

- Extreme weather events and rising sea levels are already disrupting transport infrastructure, supply chains, and community resilience—especially in coastal, regional, and remote areas.
- The cost of inaction is rising: more communities and businesses face isolation, higher insurance costs, and threats to essential services.

Our Decarbonisation Policy Issues Paper (2024) sets out a clear pathway: Avoid–Shift–Improve. We must reduce unnecessary travel, shift to sustainable modes, and invest in cleaner, more resilient vehicles and infrastructure.

Key takeaways:
- Climate adaptation and decarbonisation must go hand-in-hand.
- Integrated land use and transport planning is essential to reduce risk and emissions.
- Transformational change is needed—incremental tweaks won’t be enough.

We need to work together—across government, industry, and communities—to build a transport system that is both climate-resilient and net zero.

Deep dive into practitioner tools to support better cycling outcomes

Austroads recently held a hands-on webinar exploring transport practitioner tools from Austroads’ latest report, Improving Austroads Guidance for Cycling and Micromobility Planning.

The session focused on key tools to support safer, more accessible, and user-friendly cycling infrastructure, including the Cycling Level of Service (CLoS) tool and the All Ages and Abilities Facility Selection tool. Presenters also discussed practical guidance on crossings, intersections, and road space reallocation.

Amy Naulls, Transport Network Operations Program Manager at Austroads, remarked, 'We hope this webinar will enable practitioners to see how the tools can be applied to deliver safer, more inclusive cycling networks. While the first session introduced the new guidance, this session offers a deeper dive into the tools and gives examples of how they can be used in real-world projects.'

View the Webinar recording | Download the tools

Design Vehicles and Evolving Standards: Insights from the Latest Austroads Update

How are larger vehicles, new road standards, and emerging modes of transport shaping the future of our streets?

A recent webinar hosted by Transoft Soultions, "Designing for the Future: Insights on the Latest Austroads Update", co-hosted by Malcolm Mak, Senior Transport Engineer from NTRO and Saeromi Kim, Engineer-in-Training from Transoft Solutions, explored the 2023 updates to the Austroads design vehicles and its implications for road and intersection design.

The discussion also addressed trends like supersized SUVs and dual-cab utes, as well as the growing influence of autonomous vehicles and vulnerable road users on infrastructure planning. Tools such as AutoTURN Pro were highlighted as essential for helping practitioners adapt to these changes and deliver smarter, more inclusive designs.