NSW Treasury Distinguished Speaker David Hensher AM
Date
From: Thursday April 9, 2026, 1:00 pm
To: Thursday April 9, 2026, 2:00 pm
NSW Treasury and the Economic Society of Australia (ESA NSW) are pleased to invite you to a Distinguished Speaker seminar on ‘Road user charge reform and the political shift in interest in Australia: some thoughts to contemplate’, with Professor David Hensher, Professor and Founding Director Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (ITLS) at the University of Sydney Business School.
The 2024 electric vehicle distance-based charge introduced in Victoria to recognise that such vehicles do not pay fuel excise tax, led to a high court challenge in which it was deemed unconstitutional for a State to introduce such a charge, which is the responsibility of the Federal government (through legislation amendment). This loss of fuel excise as a tax (not a charge), on electric cars whetted the appetite of the Federal Government to place road user charging on a round table in August 2025.
We now have elevated the topic right into the political sphere where any change will require such support, and it opens up an opportunity to not only consider the fuel excise issue per se but the broader agenda on road pricing reform. For the first time, we have a political appetite to do something even if it is driven by a loss of fuel excise revenue which has never been earmarked back to roads but is a backbone revenue source for many Federal government initiatives.
In this session, we consider a number of ways in which we can begin the journey to satisfy the political appetite while achieving much broader efficiency and equity objectives. We also comment on progress in New Zealand and Iceland.
Date: Thu 9 April
Time: 12.45pm Registration | 1:00pm – 2:00pm Event (with opportunity for networking after the event)
Venue: NSW Treasury, Level 21, 52 Martin Place, Sydney and online (street entrance via 127 Phillip Street)
Please bring photo ID and arrive at 12:45pm to allow time for check-in at the ground floor Concierge.
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear directly from one of Australia’s most experienced economic thinkers. This event is free to attend for members and $10 for non-members. Registration is essential.
For online attendees, you will receive your link closer to the event date
The timing of this event is AEDT (SYD/CBR/MEL).
Professor David A. Hensher AM PhD FASSA [en.wikipedia.org] is a distinguished transport economist and the Founding Director of the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (ITLS) at the University of Sydney. Internationally recognised for pioneering contributions to discrete choice modelling, stated preference methods, economic valuation, and travel behaviour analysis, his work has profoundly influenced transport policy and infrastructure planning. With over 842,000 citations and 765 publications, Professor Hensher ranks among the most cited economists globally. His leadership has elevated ITLS to ERA Level 5 status, “well above world standard.”
In 2023, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his service to transport and logistics research. Recipient of numerous awards including the 2009 IATBR (International Association of Travel Behaviour Research) Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition for his long-standing and exceptional contribution to IATBR, as well as to the wider travel behaviour community (http://iatbr.weebly.com/award-winners.html).
David in 2025 is ranked #1 globally for scientists in transport and logistics https://www.adscientificindex.com/scientist/ and #1 in 2025 in Public Transport. He was an early pioneer of MaaS and developer of MaaF.
Click here to Book Online
Venue
NSW Treasury
Level 21, 52 Martin Place, , Sydney NSW 2000