The Outback

Way Australia’s Longest

Shortcut

Nation building project

for all Australians

Cr Patrick Hill Chairman

Ald Liz Martin

Mayor Rick Britton

OUTBACK HIGHWAY

DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL INC

• The Outback Way 2800km from Laverton to Winton

• 1100km sealed road

• 1700km is being upgraded to sealed road to improve connectivity

• Delivers economic opportunities for transporters, pastoralists, tourism operators, tourists,

roadhouses & community businesses

• Delivers social benefit for 39 indigenous communities outside of Alice Springs, with delivery of

health, education and fresh food.

The $700 million investment required to seal the Outback Way will create an economic

catalyst of 2.53 BCR.

Australia’s Longest Shortcut

Trans-national link Perth to Cairns

Our Supporters:

• Australia’s Golden Outback- Tourism Authority

• Goldfields Esperance Development Commission

• Central Land Council and Ngaanyatjarra Land Council

• Regional Development Agencies

• Qld, NT & WA Tourism bodies

• WA, Qld, & NT Local Government Assoc.& ALGA

• City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder

State Road Authorities

. Main Roads, Queensland

. Planning & Infrastructure, Northern Territory

. Main Roads, Western Australia

• Outback Highway Development Council Inc. is in its 13th year.

• Submission to Infrastructure Australia -February 2010.

• Produced feasibility Study and Economic Impact Cost Analysis 2003 and updated 2009

• $487,390 Tourism project-November 2008 launch Alice Springs

• $20million to upgrade the connectivity of the road with R2R2 funds in 2005

• Official opening of OHDC Office in Alice Springs September 2009

• Working with Desert Knowledge

• Friends of the Outback Way- Canberra

• Successful partnership of 7 local governments spanning through central Australia

●Shire of Boulia (Qld) ●Shire of Winton (Qld) ●Alice Springs Town Council (NT)

●Central Desert Shire Council (NT)● MacDonnell Shire Council (NT)

●Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku (WA) ●Shire of Laverton (WA)

Our History

Growing demand for the Outback Way

TRAFFIC INCREASES

Growth factors identified in the 2003 study, and improvements made to the road since

2003,have seen a major rise in estimated vehicle movements along the currently unsealed

sections.

Estimated Average Daily Vehicle Movements

2003 2009 Growth

Western Arm (Kata Tjuta – Laverton) 25 35 +40%

Eastern Arm (Harts Range – Winton) 20* 40 +100%

* Note: Subsequent road counts indicated that the 2003 estimates were low to start with.

•Creating an alternative transport route for product distribution throughout Australia- reducing

the round trip across Australia by 1600km.

•Linking inter-modal hubs - Kalgoorlie, Alice Springs & Winton.

•Linking with the Adelaide- Darwin Railway- improving logistic options North, South, East & West.

•A sealed Outback way will provoke a major new freight route for efficient triple road trains &

•refrigerated transport for fruit and other produce, distributing product to and from QLD, WA, NT, SA.

ROAD USE & LOGISTICS

The Outback Way

Australia’s longest shortcut

A sealed Outback Way will facilitate mining developments along the route. Mining in

Queensland and Western Australia have expanded dramatically since 2003.

Value of Mining Output 1999/2000 2006/07 Growth

Western Australia $15.7 bn $48.9 bn 3.1 fold

Queensland $8.9 bn $27.6 bn 3.1 fold

Total $24.6 bn $76.5 bn 3.1 fold

Providing a preferred route for mining sector equipment movements

For heavy haulage of earth moving equipment- the Outback Way saves $15,000/ mining

movement.

For emergency machinery replacement this route could save the mining industry

$1million/shift.

New exploration is taking place along the Outback Way.

Inter linkages between the nation’s two largest mining areas in Queensland and in

Western Australia, accounting for over 73% of Australia’s output.

Growing demand for the Outback Way

MINING

PRIMARY INDUSTRY

Growing demand for the Outback Way

Cattle Industry Benefits-

• Road usage has seen a massive increase due to dry times

• Many NT businesses have Qld properties and livestock are moved between these as the

seasons determine- this last year there has been significant traffic on the Outback Way.

•Currently works on the Plenty Highway are underway with some damage after floods in

Central Australia- however due to previous work done on the road, the repairs aren’t as

extensive and road trains are still using the road.

•From Boulia to Winton when there was 70km of unsealed road- Cattle going to sale yards

lost 10% weight, since the road has been sealed they lose only 4% weight. The improvement

to the Outback Way equates to approximately an extra $150/head.

TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION

The Outback Way- Australia’s Longest Shortcut provides a new adventure route- a new product for

Australian & International tourists to boost our domestic tourism

• Our economic modelling suggests 95,000/yr will travel the upgraded Outback Way, with the

average daily spend of $185- this injects $17.5million into the communities along the Outback

Way and beyond.

• Camping & Motor-home Club of Australia forecast that Grey nomads will double in the

next 5years and spend 10 yrs travelling doing a lap of Australia every 2 yrs looking for a

new route.

• Infrastructure- Parking bays, interpretive panels, roadside camping places, picnic tables.

Indigenous based interpretive panels along the route

• The OHDC Inc is working with a pilot indigenous tourism initiative.

• Indigenous Tourism is being developed in Central Australia and WA through Indigenous

tourism agencies, which are providing business development support and marketing.

The Outback Way- a new adventure route

The Outback Way links major tourist attractions through outback Australia

Laverton

• www.outbackway.org.au

• Worlds longest geo-cache trail

• HEMA Atlas

• Promotional material- stickers, mugs & coffee, brochures, trade stands

• Interpretative panels

• Carbon offset program

• Improved products and local growth

• International & Domestic trade shows

TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION

The Outback Way- a new adventure route

The Outback Way

Australia’s longest shortcut

BENEFITING 5.5MILLION AUSTRALIAN’S

Connecting Remote and Indigenous Communities:

• Reliable access to essential services – diesel for generators delivered

from Alice Springs, Adelaide and Kalgoorlie.

•Enabling continuity of health and educational services to remote and

isolated indigenous communities.

•Providing improved distribution of fresh produce to isolated and remote

communities- improving diet and health.

•Access for sport competitions, educational opportunities and inter-community

travel.

The Outback Way- a better quality of life

$644 MILLION INVESTEMENT RETURNS $2.53/DOLLAR SPENT ( with 4% discount)

BENEFIT COST RATIO

The Outback Way- making economic sense

Our priority is to facilitate a commitment between both States and the Territory- to

prioritise this project with Infrastructure Australia

2010 Submission to Infrastructure Australia - The OHDC Inc has requested from the

Prime Minister- $70million per year over10yrs

We are “Shovel ready”

Updated economic modelling and priority sections that need upgrading positions the

OHDC Inc well for any funding opportunities.

TAG A LONG Tour to the National Roads Congress- Bunbury

On going tourism promotion and encouragement of product development along the

route

The ongoing unified commitment and support from the 7 Shires involved is testament

to the value of this project to remote Australia.

We need- $700 million to seal the Outback Way

The Outback Way-a bright future

Thank You