Today, Main Roads WA announced the outcomes from its consultation on the proposed changes to the State Road Traffic Management Company Registration Scheme.
Main Roads had consulted on five proposed changes to the Registration Scheme, focused on pay rates and employment conditions:
- Simplify the pay classification structure in the Registration Scheme from six to three.
- Use the Fair Work Commission's Annual Wage Review (AWR) decision to adjust Registration Scheme minimum rates of pay.
- Switch from qualification-based pay to role-based pay.
- Remove unique shift work interpretations, and revert to the Award's natural interpretation.
- Revise the interpretation of leading hand rates of pay to be a weekly supplement.
TMAA undertook a survey across April and May to canvass member views on the changes. This feedback was central in forming TMAA's position and our subsequent submission to Main Roads WA.
Member feedback was supportive of the moves to simplify the pay classification structure, the switch to role-based pay, and to remove the unique shift work interpretations that were creating confusion for workers and operators.
However, we heard loud and clear there are ongoing issues created by the significant gap between Registration Scheme rates of pay and those specified in the relevant modern award, the Building and Construction General On-site Award. It was also communicated to Main Roads that the proposed change to a universal leading hand weekly supplement created fairness and equity issues, particularly where a worker may have worked as a leading hand for full-time hours, relative to another who may have acted in the role for a limited number of hours.
TMAA and its members have the utmost commitment to elevating the professionalism of the traffic management sector, and this extends to lifting the livelihoods of traffic controllers and ensuring they get remunerated fairly for their hard work. However, as we have communicated to Main Roads, the artificially inflated rates linked to the Registration Scheme create an incentive to clients and utilities providers to attempt to reduce the amount of traffic management they deploy on projects – or indeed avoid engaging traffic management altogether.
This impacts both worker safety and the community with worse road safety outcomes.
TMAA, as the peak industry body for Australia's temporary traffic management (TTM) sector, was one of six member-based organisations to submit advocacy positions in response to the proposed changes. We were pleased to see Main Roads recognised TMAA's advocacy in its decision to not proceed with the changes to leading hand rates of pay, as well as the decision to progress with the move to simplify the number of pay classifications, and remove the unique shift work interpretations.
However, we do reiterate that maintaining a significant disparity between Registration Scheme rates and the Award - in the order of 30 per cent - has negative consequences for road safety by disincentivising clients and utilities providers from engaging sufficient traffic management to protect road users and workers.
Main Roads has advised that it has deferred the introduction of the Registration Scheme changes to 1 October 2026 to provide operators with sufficient time to implement the changes. However, we strongly encourage Main Roads to maintain open dialogue with TMAA and traffic management operators as the situation evolves.
TMAA members have the exclusive opportunity to directly influence TMAA's advocacy priorities. You can find out more about the benefits of becoming a TMAA member by visiting our Membership Benefits page.
