WA Transport Magazine

THE TRANSPORT AND MACHINERY MAGAZINE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA

WA

ISSN 2202-6193 100007516 December 2018 | price $6.95

TRANSPORT magazine

WE ARE GOING DIGITAL To meet the needs of our readers, advertisers and the WA Transport industry as a whole, WA Transport Magazine will be available in convenient digital format as well as print from January 2019.

Go to page 24 and fill out our form so that you, your staff and sub-contractors can easily access this FREE service.

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Container movements under microscope • No placarded vehicles in Northbridge Tunnel • Local government road funding to increase • A Pothole in Australian Defence Policy

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WATM • December 2018

Australian engineered, Australian precision

Government of Western Australia

Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety

Over to you

Questions about dangerous goods road transport?

The answers are at your fingertips Developed by the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, the Dangerous Goods Road Transport Decoder App makes it easier to access dangerous goods transport information to help drivers safely transport dangerous goods on Western Australian roads.

Download the app for free from https://decoderapp.dmirs.wa.gov.au

KEEP UP TO DATE

CONTACT US

Subscribe to the Department’s email alert service to receive safety alerts as they are issued and find out about new publications.

For all other dangerous goods safety and licensing enquiries (including explosives, fireworks and major hazard facilities).

Visit www.dmirs.wa.gov.au to subscribe.

Telephone: (08) 9358 8001 Email: dgsb@dmirs.wa.gov.au

Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety

www.dmirs.wa.gov.au

@DMIRS_WA WATM • December 2018

3

Over to you YOUR SAY

Letters to the editor Dear Karen Following on from my initial questions and the response received by Main Roads regarding the new RTAA in Muchea which was published in the November edition of WA Transport Magazine, I have carefully considered the information and feel I need to respond further to address most of the points made by Main Roads WA. 1. In respect of the industrial subdivision planned immediately to the east of the Muchea RTAA, the key word in your response is “potential”. You are right in saying that there is “the potential for transport companies to locate their depots in this area in the future, which would significantly reduce the demand on the RTAA” however, in order for this situation to happen, a transport company would need to have a yard big enough to allow for their people to assemble triple road trains and enter and exit their yards safely and efficiently. A yard large enough to accommodate this would be extremely expensive for any transport company, whether the yard was bought, leased, rented or otherwise and again, there is only the “potential” for this to happen.

Secondly, as this new industrial area has hardly even begun to be developed, it could be several years before a transport company has a suitable yard purpose built for triple road trains even if the expense of this has not already proven to be prohibitive or unviable.

2. If BP are planning to build a large roadhouse facility on the eastern side of the RTAA “which will provide sufficient ablution facilities", this is great news but this would mean that drivers are likely to drag road trains across a busy highway just to use the toilet and sometimes the call of Mother Nature is sudden, unexpected and untimely; meaning a driver could easily be caught short and there is no alternative for this basic human need.

Secondly, the transport industry is seeing a greater number of female drivers and while a man can discreetly urinate between trailers without being indecently exposed or noticed, a female truck driver could not be expected to drop her pants, squat and do her business if or when she 4

WATM • December 2018

gets the call of nature. At Wubin there are ablution facilities at the RTAA and about 1km away is a BP roadhouse which also provides ablution facilities. I see no reason why the Muchea RTAA should be without a toilet block at the very least.

3. In regards to the layout of the new RTAA, I drive past this area several times per week and I’ve seen the facility developing. It appears to be no bigger than the facility at Wubin, in fact, it looks even smaller and I have grave concerns of the chaos, congestion and delays that will be present and the difficulties experienced by every user of this area.

MRWA don’t appear to have taken into account the sketch I originally sent which outlines a through-bay between every two road train parking bays to allow for safe, efficient and easy access and assembly of trailers. I appreciate this takes considerable extra room but these are the types of features that are needed by the industry, features which would also help to alleviate the congestion because of the reduced time and difficulty drivers will encounter, as they currently do at every other RTAA. I have been told that MRWA has access to extra land to allow for RTAA expansion if required. Given the almost certainty that the transport industry will expand and need this room, would it not be more prudent and economical to utilise that which is available now and construct a facility with all the required features, rather than have to revisit these issues in future years and have to incur even greater expense at that time to expand the RTAA? After all is said and done, for the most part we are only talking about an area of flat land with a layer of bitumen with line markings and a toilet block.

4. In response to the light vehicle bays, I can see that these will eventually be used out of necessity for drivers to park dollies, especially considering that dollies are less than the standard 4.5 tonnes, thereby technically rendering a dolly as a light vehicle in that circumstance. If all the dolly bays are full you can be assured that light vehicle bays will be used for dolly parking.

Secondly, even in the most intensive blitz, I have never seen so many

“compliance vehicles, Worksafe Inspectors, Dangerous Goods Inspectors, WA Police and Department of Transport staff” at any one time that would require so many light vehicle bays and further to that, if there was such a sizeable blitz, most of these vehicles are likely to be parked in positions where they can “intercept” road train traffic and are close to the Officers concerned so they can easily access materials from those vehicles.

Any maintenance / service vehicles are probably only going to be at the RTAA in the event of a vehicle breakdown and in that situation, those vehicles are going to be parked alongside or adjacent to the vehicle that is being worked on.

5. In terms of the “Community consultation” you mentioned, I’ve been actively involved in transport all through the years you’ve stated and I’ve talked with dozens of people in that time. I am completely unaware of any “Community consultation” that has taken place. The feedback I’ve had from a number of Transport Managers in response to the issues I’ve raised recently clearly indicates that many of these people are also unaware of any such “Community consultation”. Could you please provide me with some more details about this? I’m interested to know exactly who was a party to this consultation and exactly which industry representatives were involved in the accessibility and size of the RTAA planned for Muchea and what intellectual contribution they made.

Kind regards, Garth Stockden RESPONSE FROM DEAN ROBERTS – Main Roads Spokesperson In the short-to-medium term, once constructed the RTAA in Muchea will be utilised in addition to the RTAA facilities at Wubin and Apple Street, providing additional capacity to cater for heavy vehicles in the area. Again, there is sufficient land within the road reserve to enable an extensive expansion of the Muchea RTAA into the future to meet demand.

Consultation with project stakeholders was a key part of the project development process. Several reference and consultative

groups were established to provide input and deal with a range of issues, including a community reference group for each of the three sections of NorthLink WA and a Freight and Road User Group (FRUG).

The FRUG worked collaboratively to bring together road user groups, industry bodies, designers, regulators, emergency response and other stakeholders to develop optimal project solutions in light of social, environmental, economic and technical considerations.

The FRUG provided input and comment on a diverse range of road user perspectives including cars, trucks, cyclists, pedestrians, public transport and related matters including the timing of delivery of project infrastructure, the provision of supporting infrastructure for various road user groups, the approach to managing over size over mass vehicles and other large freight vehicles, and the form and function of the RTAA. Participants in the Freight and Road User Group included: • Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia • Freight and Logistics Council WA • Livestock & Rural Transporters Association • Main Roads Heavy Vehicle Operations • WA Farmers Federation • WA Pilot Drivers Association • Western Australian Road Transport Association • Department of Fire and Emergency Services • RAC • WA Police • WALGA • Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council • Shire of Chittering • City of Swan • Town of Bassendean • City of Bayswater • Department of Planning • Department of Transport • Public Transport Authority Ablution facilities were carefully considered as part of the design, however once NorthLink WA was made aware that BP would be building adequate roadhouse amenities , the best outcome in terms of maintenance and available funding was to remove this option.

Hi Karen As always I have read your magazine with interest. It has been over ten years since I sold SFM Engineering but I still have contact with quite a few people in the West.

My concern is for the current driver and skilled worker shortage in our industry. That we have got to this place is a disgraceful, especially as we could see it coming. The Government including the Education System and Industry itself all have responsibility for the situation we are in now.

I gave the Commercial Vehicle Industry Association (CVIA) 28 years of my life during which time I was WA Chair and a stint at National Chair. At the end I received a little plaque and Life Membership.

We had monthly meetings and achieved a lot; most notably a reduction in Stamp Duty on new units. With people like John Dombrose from Licencing, Ian Tarling from Main Roads and Ljiljanna Ravlich MLC - Minister for Education and Training, who were constant at meetings, we set up task forces and one of the things we worked on was bringing workers into our industry.

So where is the CVIA WA now? I guess all they do is run truck shows.

Instead, they should be involved with Government, creating awareness regarding the driver, mechanic and body builder shortage.

The Government should be promoting this in paper’s TV and the Internet at times and places that will reach the parents so they can guide their children.

This problem is Australia wide; however more push needs to be done by industry to get the Government working for us - not the people working for the Government.

Not just myself but many people were lobbying years ago as we could foresee the skilled worker shortage that we presently are experiencing. It is as if our efforts have not been carried on.

Best Regards, Doug McDonald

WATM • December 2018

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WA

TRANSPORT

magazine

VOLUME 24 | NUMBER 11 Angry Chicken Publishing Pty Ltd Telephone 0430 153 273 www.angrychicken.com.au ABN: 35 486 530 095

PUBLISHER / COMMISSIONING EDITOR Karen-Maree’ Kaye T: 08 9296 4488 Email: karen@angrychicken.com.au WRITERS Russell McKinnon CONTRIBUTORS Jan Cooper, Cam Dumesny, Carol Messenger, John Milner, Ray Pratt, Peter Swift, Vince Ziino.

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Angry Chicken Head Office T: 0430 153 273 E: karen@angrychicken.com.au DESIGN / PREPRESS Cally Browning | Bare Creative ACCOUNTS T: 08 9296 4488 Email: accounts@angrychicken.com.au PRINTER Daniels Printing Craftsmen SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions available directly from the Publisher.

T: 08 9296 4488 E: karen@angrychicken.com.au Australia: 1 year $65.95 (inc GST) 2 years $127.55 (inc GST) Overseas subscribers: Airmail postage will be added to subscription rate.

Editorial Submissions: The Publisher welcomes editorial submissions. Once received they will become the property of the Publisher who reserves the right to edit the or adjust the content to fit with the format of our publication.

West Australian Transport Magazine (WATM) is published by Angry Chicken Publishing Pty Ltd ABN: 35 486 530 095 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, adapted or transmitted in any form by any process (graphic, electronic, mechanical or storage and retrieval system) or sold, resold or otherwise exploited for any purpose without consent of the Publisher.

The publisher, contributors, editors and consultants disclaim any and all liability and responsibility to any person or party, be they a purchaser, reader, advertiser or consumer of this publication in regards to consequences and outcomes of anything done or omitted, or being in reliance whether partly or solely on the contents of this publication. No person, organization or party should rely on or on any way act upon any part of the contents of this magazine without first obtaining the advice of a fully qualified person. The Publisher shall have no responsibility for any action or omission by contributor, consultant, editor or related party for content within WATM. The opinions and content within WATM does not necessarily reflect those of the Publisher, editor or their agents. No responsibility is accepted for damage or loss of material supplied to the publisher.

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WATM • December 2018

FROM THE PUBLISHER

I

t is ‘exciting’ times ahead for the magazine and I. As of January 2019, WATM will be ‘also’ be available in ‘interactive’ digital format with all the bells and whistles including an app.

Over the past year especially, I have received too many calls and emails from readers requesting the magazine be available to them in digital format for me to be able to ignore.

Reasons were varied from readers who do not want to wait until they get home from working away to read it, the environmental aspect (paperless) but overall; the majority of my readers are much more ‘savvy’ than I with modern technology and are already utilising it.

Obviously I had to remove my ‘dinosaur suit’ and it has been a real eye opener as I have discovered that I can not only give my readers and advertisers ‘more’ through an interactive magazine but I can reach ‘more’ readers and help the industry in more ways.

WATM will be 25 years old in 2019 and its strength has always been its local content and that it reaches the

highest concentration of businesses and individuals who require transport products and services in this state. Plus it is able to give a medium where ‘everyone’ can have their say and be heard and answered by Policy Makers in WA. With this expansion, I can now add the people you employ including sub-contractors so that they can be kept up to date with all the latest Main Roads information, Dangerous Goods, opinions of others, history and culture of our industry. This can only be ‘positive’ in not only bringing a ‘unity’ between all of industry but it will be ‘another’ string in your Chain of Responsibility bow at no added cost to you.

PLEASE go to page 24, fill in the form, add yourself and anyone else you want to and email: karen@ angrychicken.com.au or post back to me. Did I mention this is FREE? Thank you to all of you who have subscribed this month.

Welcome to our new writer John Milner ‘Lone Wolf’ and Merry Christmas to you all.

Best,

Karen

CONTENTS 2........................................................... Letters to the editor 8........................................................... Resources rose to reduce roadside rubbish 9........................................................... WA container movements under microscope again 11.......................................................... 2019 Daimler Truck and Bus Future Leaders announced 14........................................................ Western Roads Federation - The Pothole in Australian Defence Policy

18....................................................... Over $30 million pledged for WA heavy vehicle safety initiatives 19........................................................ LRTAWA - Hats off to agriculture 20..................................................... Busy North West Coastal Highway junction roundabout completed 21........................................................ Local government road funding to increase

Every Month 7............................................................ Questions to the Minister 10........................................................ Fair go for Owner Drivers 12........................................................ Bird’s Eye View 16....................................................... Dangerous Goods 18....................................................... The Lone Wolf 22..................................................... HCVC 23..................................................... WA Transport History

Endorsed by

WATM • November 2018

7

News

Heavy vehicle services engaging with the community

Dowerin Field Day Display

A

s part of our role in educating the Transport Industry, Main Roads’ Heavy Vehicle Services team regularly attends agricultural field days, community events and trade shows including the Perth International Boat Show.

This year, Transport Inspectors were on hand assisting our regional offices talking with the local community and business owners at agricultural field days at Kununurra, Dowerin and Newdegate, whilst also providing information related to road transport compliance issues.

If you have any questions or queries on Heavy Vehicle related issues these events are a great opportunity for you to discuss them with one of our Transport Inspectors, or at any time you can contact our Heavy Vehicle Helpdesk, who are always happy to assist you with any enquiries.

This year in Dowerin and Newdegate a big focus was on the upcoming changes to the Harvest Mass Management Scheme, with the team educating industry on the changes to the Harvest Mass Management Scheme access conditions and business rules.

At this year’s Perth International Boat Show, the team shared a pavilion with other Government and volunteer organisations and provided advice to the general public 8

WATM • December 2018

This year in Dowerin and Newdegate a big focus was on the upcoming changes to the Harvest Mass Management Scheme on moving their oversize boats on public roads.

As we head into the holiday season, it’s important for boat owners to be aware of the requirements for moving their boats. Boats that exceed the standard dimension limits of 19 metres (length) by 2.5 metres (width) by 4.3 metres (height) are considered oversize. Oversize boats must be issued with a Class 1 RAV Oversize Boat Transport Period permit in order for it to be moved on roads. Permits cost $50 and are valid for three years.

For further information on Boat Permits or any Heavy Vehicle related issues please visit www.mainroads.wa.gov.au or call the Heavy Vehicle Helpdesk on 138 486.

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR OPENING HOURS Main Roads wishes to advise that on Friday 14 December, the HVS public counter will be closed from midday.

Telephone enquiries will continue to be handled by the Heavy Vehicle Helpdesk on 138 HVO (138 486) until 5pm.

During the Christmas / New Year period, the Heavy Vehicle Helpdesk and the Notices and Permits Section will be closing at 5pm daily from Monday 17 December to Friday 28 December 2018.

The Heavy Vehicle Helpdesk will be closed during the Christmas / New Year period, on Saturday 22 December and Sunday the 23 December, and Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 December 2018, and from Saturday 29 December 2017 to Tuesday 1 January 2019 inclusive.

The Helpdesk will be open on Monday 24 December, Thursday 27 December, Friday 28 December and Monday 31 December, from 7am to 5pm.

Normal services will resume on Wednesday 2 January 2019.

Over to you QUESTIONS TO THE MINISTER with Hon. Rita Saffioti | B Bus MLA | Minister of Transport Our West Australian Minister for Transport has kindly agreed to answer your most pressing questions for publication in the WA Transport Magazine. Our thanks go to the Minister for her time and we hope you will take advantage of this opportunity. Please send your questions to the publisher at karen@angrychicken.com.au

Minister: In WA for many years now we have had the Owner Driver Act in place. Many transport companies are still paying sub-contractors up to 60 days or more for work they have done which is not legal.

The Owner Driver Act needs a bit more teeth to make it work. What can be done?

Response from the Department of Transport The Minister for Transport has recently re-established the Road Freight Transport Industry Council to promote and encourage a safer and more sustainable road freight industry.

The Owner-Drivers (Contracts and Disputes) Act 2007 was introduced in 2008 to specifically address inequity in

the bargaining positions of heavy vehicle owner-drivers and hirers.

The legislation includes a requirement for payments to owner-drivers, under an owner-driver contract, to be made within

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30 days after a payment claim is made.

Owner-drivers who enter into contracts can seek free business advice from the Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC).

For owner-drivers with contract disputes, the SBDC provides an accessible, affordable Alternative Dispute Resolution service.

The SBDC can be contacted on Phone: 13 12 49 or email: info@ smallbusiness.wa.gov.au Alternatively, a dispute arising in relation to an owner-driver contract may be referred to the Road Freight Transport Industry Tribunal for resolution.

More information on the Tribunal is available on the WA Industrial Relation Commission’s website: www.wairc.wa.gov.au/index.php/en/rftit

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www.twepicton.com.au WATM • December 2018

9

News

WA CONTAINER MOVEMENTS UNDER MICROSOPE AGAIN

F

remantle Ports, together with Main Roads WA and the Department of Transport, has just released the findings from its 2017 Container Movement Study, further building a complete picture of this critical supply chain.

The study builds on previous research, including the 2011 Container Movement

One in 10 Australians at risk of high blood pressure

A

national blood pressure check health program, coordinated by the National Heart Foundation and TerryWhite Chemmart has found that one in 10 Australians who participated in the program received high blood pressure readings above 140/90mmHg. The health program, conducted during the month of October, offered free blood pressure checks at TerryWhite Chemmart pharmacies around the country, with the aim of raising awareness of high blood pressure as a leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

National Heart Foundation Group CEO, Adjunct Professor John Kelly AM said, “High blood pressure is known as the silent killer because there are no obvious signs or symptoms...This campaign allowed pharmacists to identify any potential issues during the blood pressure checks, and refer them on to their GPs if required.”

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WATM • December 2018

RESOURCES ROSE TO REDUCE ROADSIDE RUBBISH

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program that has successfully reduced roadside litter by about 70 per cent in some roadside locations has been given a $400,000 boost.

Main Roads Western Australia is contributing the funding towards extending Keep Australia Beautiful Council's 'Put your rubbish in the bin. WA naturally thanks you' campaign.

Main Roads has worked with the Keep Australia Beautiful Council in recent years to roll the program out on Forrest Highway, Great Eastern Highway and Brand Highway.

The program installs anti-litter roadside signage, bin stickers on the highways and provides 300,000 free

vehicle litter bags which are available from roadhouses along the selected routes.

This latest funding injection will enable further rollout of the anti-litter signage and bin stickers on Western Australia's freeways and highways.

Additionally, posters will be distributed to roadhouses and sustainable car litter bags will continue to be provided to encourage road users to do the right thing with their rubbish and consider the environment.

Main Roads spends approximately $6 million each year. The National Litter Index indicates that roadsides are one of the most littered areas in WA.

Study, which has informed Fremantle Portrelated freight-movement decision making since then.

The aim of the 2017 study was to capture three quarters of all transport activity and show trends in staging, delivery and pickup locations, transport operator, importer and exporter activity, as well as timings.

Forty five participants helped build the data picture, over a four-week period between 7 August and 3 September last year.

Since 2011, there is now significantly more container packing activity outside the Perth metropolitan area and the growing importance of staging in the import / export chains. Around 80% of both import and export full container movements were staged at intermediate facilities in 2017 compared with 65% (full imports) and 45% (exports) in 2011.

Aside from the port precinct, the two major import container destinations are around Canning Vale / Jandakot / Bibra Lake and Welshpool / Kewdale / Forrestfield, with the latter area expanding east to Hazelmere and other suburbs in the north-east metropolitan area.

The study also highlighted the importance of Regional WA to the state’s export container supply chain, in the geographical distribution of pack locations The study found the Perth market is slowly maturing in terms of afterhours unpacks. This has been enhanced by container terminal and empty container parks extending their opening hours, promoting large-scale container movements at off-peak times.

The study also highlighted the importance of Regional WA to the state’s export container supply chain, in the geographical distribution of pack locations.

Clearly, there have been significant operational changes at container terminals in the past six years, with a lot of attention

paid to after-hours operations, including making mass movements in the form of stack or bulk runs. Tuesday proved the busiest import day of the week, but Saturdays and Sundays have shot up significantly in container movements since 2011. At the time of the study, rail accounted for 21% of the full export volume.

Because the study is repeatable, the intention is to continue producing valuable insights into the industry in the future.

The study can be read or downloaded from www.fremantleports.com.au

FREMANTLE PORTS

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Fremantle Ports wishes to thank those industry partners who took part in the 2017 Container Movement Study undertaken on behalf of Fremantle Ports, WA Department of Transport and Main Roads WA. The study’s findings build upon the knowledge gained in previous, similar, studies in 2004 and 2011. This work is highly valuable to the freight and logistics sector and underpins important decision-making on port-related supply chain infrastructure and policy.

You can now access the report at www.fremantleports.com.au

WINNER! The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport National Awards Excellence and Innovation in Moving Freight - Fremantle Ports Excellence and Innovation in Humanitarian and/or Defence Transport and Logistics - Fremantle Ports WATM • December 2018

11

www.fremantleports.com.au

Over to you A FAIR GO FOR OWNER DRIVERS by Ray Pratt

I’ll beat any rate

Heavy vehicle accreditation

I

have always said that we live in a great state especially when it comes to our transport industry. Our transport department is committed to supporting transport operators by way of education and only use prosecutions as a last resort for those who do not comply.

In Western Australia, it is mandatory for individuals and organisations that require a permit to operate in the transport industry to have Heavy Vehicle Accreditation.

Like our Fatigue Management System, our Accreditation System gives us the freedom to show that we can comply by keeping records outlining that our trucks and trailers are kept in a good, safe and roadworthy condition and that we are healthy and fit to drive.

It is a good system but like our fatigue system it is open to unscrupulous operators who are not honest with the way that they report the true facts and keep records.

These operators think they are ‘smart’

12

WATM • December 2018

trying to beat the system, but it’s not very ‘clever’ as these types of operators and companies are the ones that are ruining the transport industry for everyone.

You may well ask how can a few shonky operators ruin the transport industry for everyone else. It’s not hard to work it out.

Most truck drivers are smart, dedicated and professional in the way they present themselves and go about their work however, there are always a minority group of ‘cowboys’ that are always cutting rates and bending the rules in an effort to keep their wheels turning .

This in effect sets a precedent and it then doesn’t take long for conditions to deteriorate. It creates an uneven playing field and the only winners are the customer who gets his freight carted at a cheaper price.

These operators are so stupid that they cannot see that their actions keep working conditions and rates at below what is sustainable.

Our system is excellent but it just needs a bit more enforcement to bring every transport operator up to an even level.

It’s not hard to see who is legal and who are bending the rules. You can pick the trucks and trailers that do not get regular maintenance.

It may just be a few bald tyres or missing mud flaps or even lights that are not working but the signs are there for all to see.

It’s not just small operators that are at fault here as many of the major transport companies have been known to push the boundaries when it comes to avoiding regular maintenance. These big transport companies are more interested in keeping shareholders happy so they can improve their bottom line by skimping on maintenance.

I have even seen transport companies that will not even spend money washing their trucks and trailers just to save a few dollars.

Accreditation at the moment is more about showing that you have a good maintenance program on paper but in reality what you see driving up and down the road tells a different story. It’s just window dressing but it’s time to get serious and make the system work properly and legally.

Accreditation also involves the drivers, meaning our health and whether we are fit for work. This is achieved by drivers having regular health checks and presenting themselves fit for work and being able to pass drug and alcohol testing.

It’s a well-known fact that truck drivers due to the nature of their work find it hard to keep healthy and so as we get older this type of lifestyle starts to catch up with us. Too many ‘take away’ meals and sugary drinks, not enough exercise and the end result are many truck drivers being overweight and in poor health. Eventually the doctors decide that due to poor health we fail our medical and so we lose our Accreditation.

However, some of these drivers even though they are not fit to drive still manage to keep on driving. We know we have a driver shortage but there is no excuse for these drivers to drive heavy vehicles.

What all these silly people do not realise is that if you do not tick all the boxes with Accreditation and you have an accident then you can look forward to having your world turned upside down as you will probably lose everything you own. Think about it.

Keep it safe, Ray Pratt.

News

2019 Daimler Truck and Bus Future Leaders Announced

T

he Australian Trucking Association and Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific have announced the participants in the 2019 Daimler Truck and Bus Future Leaders’ Forum which will deliver a career-defining professional development program to 14 trucking business owners and employees from across Australia.

The leaders come from a range of backgrounds and roles, including business analysis, driver training, logistics, compliance and finance.

“Our trucking industry needs a new generation of leaders to deal with change and the challenge of technological disruption says,” ATA Chair Geoff Crouch.

“This type of initiative nurtures the development of Australia’s transport industry leaders and can make transport a destination industry for the country’s finest,” Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific President and CEO Daniel Whitehead said.

“We are excited to see the talent and vision of our 2019 Future Leaders and the projects they will undertake to build a stronger, safer and more productive industry,” he said.

The program will include intensive workshops and take-home leadership projects on key industry issues, which will be presented at Trucking Australia 2019, held in Perth from 3-5 April. Participants will also be mentored by experts in leadership, media and political training during the Forum.

Two of the participants are from Western Australia.

Gordon Smith-Gander Western Roads Federation Gordon is Chief Commercial Officer at Kwik Logistics, a company that has been operating in Western Australia’s construction and infrastructure sector for more than 30 years through crane hire, local transport and traffic management.

Gordon worked in insolvency for some years before working with Jonesway Transport and then moving back to the family business, Kwik Logistics. Gordon’s leadership project focuses on how businesses can stay competitive while still operating compliantly. It will explore the improvement of industry standards and increased regulation and educating customers.

Geoff Taylor Transafe WA Geoff is the Regional Health, Safety, Environment and Training Manager at Rivet Mining Services in Port Hedland, Western Australia. Geoff has qualifications in the areas of management, training and assessment and workplace health and safety. Geoff is a passionate advocate for mandating new technologies in heavy vehicles. Geoff believes that the implementation of technology and safety systems can significantly reduce business risk and cost.

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Over to you BIRDS EYE VIEW by Carol Messenger

Lack of toilet facilities

I

have written a number of times about the abysmal lack of both parking bays and facilities in parking bays. Unfortunately, these comments seem to fall on deaf ears, despite the Government raking in oodles of dollars from the Transport Industry; in the form of taxes, levies, registration, permits, fees and licences. It seems to me they are ‘disinclined’ to put any of it back into proper facilities for the transport industry.

Recently, I did a trip to North Queensland and was blown away by both the size and number of parking bays - in New South Wales and Queensland.

Another difference was that on both New South Wales and Queensland roads you see signs indicating ‘three parking bays ahead’ along with the distances to each one and the facilities they contain.

I thought well jeez isn't that a good idea, “hint, hint MRDWA”.

A far difference from WA where we get ‘P 1k’.

With the information supplied on NSW and QLD roads you know exactly how far to the next stopping place is so that you

can start to wind down and prepare yourself.

Not only are Eastern States parking bays more frequent, they are larger and they go deeper off the road - to prevent wind shake from passing trucks. This enables a much better rest for drivers and the majority of their parking bays are bituminised as well thus making them a lot safer in the wet.

But the biggest difference of all is our almost total lack of facilities in WA parking bays compared to how many toilets are in

But the biggest difference of all is our almost total lack of facilities in WA parking bays compared to how many toilets are in the majority of the Eastern States ones the majority of the Eastern States ones.

I think it is absolutely ‘pathetic’ that as the hard working professional operators; we are expected to pull up and void ourselves behind a bush.

This is a ‘first world country’ for goodness sake.

It is even worse if you are a female. At least if you are a bloke you can just turn your

From the Publisher MY THOUGHTS AND GOOD WISHES are with my dear friend Peter Swift who is in hospital recovering from a serious operation. Peter, get well soon and it will be great to have you back on board ‘fighting fit’. I know all your friends, of which there are many are joining me in wishing you a speedy recovery.

Kindest regards, Karen

14

WATM • December 2018

back but us ladies have to find a bush and often it is one that a thousand other people have done the same thing behind. It is far from pleasant.

I feel like the Government does not care - they think its ok and that private industry will in the form of road houses etc. provide these facilities. But is this not the Governments responsibility?

An example is the new roadtrain assembly area (RTAA) for Muchea.

As far as I can see there are zero plans to put in ablution facilities there.

When questioned why not a Main Roads spokesperson stated, “Ablution facilities were carefully considered as part of the design, however once NorthLink WA was made aware that BP would be building adequate roadhouse amenities, the best outcome in terms of maintenance and available funding was to remove this option'.

Well that’s a cop out I think. Why should BP have to provide toilets?

In this situation drivers will have to trek across a road to the toilets and many will not so it won’t be long before the new RTAA looks and smells like a sewer.

Are we honestly that far down the food chain that we don’t even deserve basic human rights?

And what about when the BP is closed?

What are drivers supposed to do then?.

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WATM • December 2018

15

Over to you WESTERN ROADS FEDERATION by Cam Dumesny, CEO

The Pothole in Australian Defence Policy

A

pillar of Australian Defence policy is defence of the air-sea gap. But this ignores the internal land gap required to support and sustain such a defence.

February 2018: Floods isolated parts of the Kimberley leaving Supermarkets in Broome and Derby without fresh food. Dozens of people were stranded on the side of a national highway and millions of dollars of damage to roads eaten away by raging torrents

...the ability to sustain operations for weeks or months round the clock, with particular implications for ...operational bases, especially in the north.”

Dry Weather Sailors Allowing for the poetic licence, the reality is Defence are currently dry season sailors when it comes to exercises that test capability. (Note both regional surveillance forces Pilbara Regiment and Norforce are exempt from this criticism).

In 2016, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel deployed over a 1000 personnel to Derby, North Western Australia, at short notice to test security response arrangements as part of Exercise NORTHERN SHIELD 2016.

The exercise was conducted in the dry 16

WATM • December 2018

"There is nothing more common than to find considerations of supply affecting the strategic lines of a campaign and a war."

- Carl von Clausevitz

- Hon Prof Richard Brabin-Smith from ANU’s strategic and defence studies centre – September 2018

Strategic defence policy experts have become increasingly vocal in recent years calling for a rethink of Australia’s Defence policy. The rethink has been driven by increasing concern that the tyranny of distance has been replaced with the peril of proximity, as regional uncertainty grows.

More frequent calls are now being heard in political and defence circles that we need greater deployment of defence assets to the North and North West.

There is only one problem – how will these be sustained? The entire Pilbara and Kimberley region is currently sustained by the WA road transport industry supported by the NT. No one has asked our industry if we can sustain a deployed force or an increased Defence presence. The answer they would get is not going to be pleasant; in fact, it’s probably going to put a few potholes in their strategy.

Defence Policy Must Include Infrastructure Investment

season probably for a maximum duration of 7 to 10 days. The 1000 personnel they inserted would have increased the population of Derby by 25%.

Versus Real Sailors Had Defence conducted the exercise in the wet season they would have discovered sustaining such a deployed force is exceptionally difficult.

Our WA transport industry has to sustain communities all year round regardless of season, weather or terrain.

And for the second wet in a row the only sealed road connecting Port Hedland to Kununurra (1580 km) was cut and alternative routes are routinely impassable for up to 50 days per year.

After floods closed part of Great Northern Highway in February 2018, Coles in Broome was flying in supplies in a desperate bid to replenish stocks while Woolworths hired a barge to deliver essentials from Dampier to the town.

At this time, Centurion also planned to take road freight via Port Augusta and Katherine — adding 2095km to the normal route.

So if we cannot supply communities given the current infrastructure, how is it possible that Defence “could sustain operations for weeks or months round the clock”?

In September 2018, Honorary Professor Richard Brabin-Smith from ANU’s Strategic and Defence studies centre spoke at a public panel event about ‘Why Australia Needs a Radically New Defence Policy’.

He outlined five points that must be considered in a Defence Policy review, the third, and following from the prospect of shorter warning times, is the need to consider higher levels of readiness and sustainability. “…the ability to sustain operations for weeks or months round the clock, with particular implications for … operational bases, especially in the north.”

Not only for sustained operations but to provide for flexibility in defence posture there must be an investment in the road and logistics infrastructure of the North West and Kimberley.

Defence policy must no longer ignore the lack of road infrastructure in the regions. It must instead identify road infrastructure as a priority within defence policy. Defence will find strong support from local communities, plus the agriculture, mining, resources sectors and of course our transport industry that connects them all.

The WA and NT Transport Industry View The view of the WA and NT transport industry is that: 1. The Great Northern Highway from Port Hedland to Kununurra be upgraded to an all-weather and all-seasons road, removing all single lane bridges. It is after all, a national highway.

2. The Great Northern Highway from Perth to Darwin be upgraded to what Curtin University calls a mil-spec road, that is: a. Has a prescribed envelope of road seal, height clearance and uninterrupted digital connectivity.

b. Rest areas be upgraded along the route to accommodate military convoy packets.

Note this is a WRF addition.

These may sound expensive but actually it is only incrementally more expensive over standard builds.

3. Logistics flexibility and redundancy needs to be built into by upgrading the Tanami Road linking Alice Springs rail head to Halls Creek. This will also shorten the supply lines to the South East by over a 1000 km. As well as providing two east-west lines of supply, which are important given the major defence bases in Townsville and Brisbane.

For the military historians, some perspective is that the road distance from Paris to Moscow is 2800 km whereas the road distance from Perth to Kununurra (top of WA) is 3200 km.

Westconnex is $515m based on current costs. The current cost to upgrade 600 km of the Tanami is around $605m. The figures whilst not precise are indicatively correct.

Another way to view it is to say what would be the cost if the region were denied to us? Not only does Australia generate over 40% of its export income from the Pilbara

and Kimberley, it is a region that also has some of the largest accessible rare earth deposits outside of China, plus oil reserves estimated to be larger than Bass Straight.

So should we invest the equivalent cost of six km of WestConnex funding to enable us to sustain a defence deployment in the region and to close the internal land gap?

The highlighted roads are currently unsealed. Sealing these to all weather roads would provide greater road supply chain flexibility.

Sounds Expensive Well not really. The entire upgrades proposed could be undertaken for around the equivalent cost of about six km of the 33 km Westconnex Freeway construction in Sydney.

The cost of one kilometre of

WESTERN ROADS FEDERATION IS THE UNITED VOICE OF WA TRANSPORT COMPANIES Western Roads Federation has been formed to give a strong unified voice for companies who use WA roads for commercial benefit.

Western Roads Federation is a membership driven organisation. If you believe in the industry and what you do, then make sure your company is a member, and get involved.

For a membership application form Email cam.dumesny@westernroads.com.au â—† Phone 08 9365 7799 180 Hay St, East Perth WA 6004

WATM • December 2018

17

Focus DANGEROUS GOODS By Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS)

PLACARDED VEHICLES MUST STAY OUT OF THE NORTHBRIDGE TUNNEL

W

e all know not to drive through a red light.

And of course, you are well aware not to drink and drive.

But did you know that all vehicles with placarded dangerous goods loads must avoid using the Northbridge tunnel?

Why are placard loads not allowed?

The Dangerous Goods Safety (Road and Rail Transport of Non-explosives) Regulations 2007 stipulate that the Northbridge Tunnel, also known as the

News

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Over $30 million pledged for WA heavy vehicle safety initiatives

he State Government will contribute more than $6 million towards improving roads, rest stops and road train assembly areas across Western Australia to improve safety for heavy vehicles.

Local, State and Federal governments have worked together to create a funding pool of

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WATM • December 2018

$30 million to go towards 15 projects aimed at making WA roads safer for trucks.

The 15 projects include road widening and realignments, construction of road train and truck parking and rest areas, and intersection upgrades.

The projects involve increasing the capacity of existing roads and improving connections to the nation's key freight

routes. When completed, these projects will allow heavy vehicle operators to travel across the country in a safer, quicker and more productive way.

As part of the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program, the projects have been backed with more than $13.7 million in Federal Government, $6.2 million in State Government and

Graham Farmer Freeway Tunnel, is the only route in Western Australia where placarded vehicles are not permitted.

This exclusion ensures that there is minimal risk to other people in the tunnel.

Tunnels are enclosed spaces with limited exits or access points, and can be very busy during peak periods.

You can imagine how difficult it would be for people to escape or receive help from emergency services if a serious incident, such as an explosion or toxic gas release, were to occur.

For example, if a placarded vehicle (loaded or unloaded) was in the tunnel during an incident, its presence would automatically initiate a HAZMAT response.

This would then require authorities having to initially determine if the area was safe enough for emergency services to enter – potentially delaying help reaching people who require it.

What if you have already made a delivery?

Even if you have removed all placardable dangerous goods from your vehicle prior to entry, if the placards are still in place, you are not allowed to drive through the Northbridge Tunnel.

The fines for breaking this regulation are $300 for individuals and $1500 for companies.

The tunnel is monitored 24/7, so if you have already made your delivery, please remember to revise the placarding on your vehicle to avoid being fined.

It is therefore important for drivers to plan their routes carefully to prevent inadvertently entering the tunnel.

Following these three simple steps will enable you to avoid driving through the Northbridge Tunnel: • Pre-plan a suitable route – this will

enable you to work out where to drive and which lane to be in. For those not familiar with metropolitan roads, please take a little more time to review your planned route around the tunnel.

• Use your GPS – even if you are confident of the route, some additional technical support will give you peaceof-mind, particularly when it comes to being in the correct lane to avoid entering the tunnel. Keep in mind that it is harder for large vehicles to change lanes at the last moment, so choose the correct lane as early as possible. Some GPS units have an avoid tunnels setting

which can be selected from the menu.

• Use geo-fencing – this is an added function of most GPS units which will warn you when you are approaching restricted sites, by creating a virtual barrier. Speak with your manager or supervisor about implementing this additional measure to prevent you entering the tunnel and receiving a fine.

If you happen to find yourself heading toward the tunnel in a placarded vehicle by taking the wrong exit, DO NOT continue to drive through. Instead, DO THE FOLLOWING:

$11 million in local government funding.

The $30 million in joint funding for WA includes: • $3.3 million to build a road train assembly area at the North West Coastal Highway and Madigan Road intersection in Karratha; • $2.8 million to widen and upgrade several key intersections on the Gascoyne Key Route in the Shire of Upper Gascoyne; • $2.2 million to upgrade the intersection of Pippingarra Road and the Great

Northern Highway at Newman; and • $1 million to widen and strengthen 18.79 kilometres of road and build a 40 metre concrete floodway on Baandee North Road near North Baandee.

Transport Minister Rita Saffioti says, "Western Australia is a vast State with significant heavy vehicle road traffic, particularly throughout regional areas which may not have the infrastructure to support this level of freight.

"This funding will be used to upgrade existing rest stops, build new rest stops and

construct new layover bays, providing drivers with more opportunities to take a break or reconfigure their trailers and for large loads to park up to allow other traffic to pass.

"As well as being incredibly beneficial to heavy vehicle drivers, these projects will ensure we continue to improve safety outcomes for all road users.

"This funding will help make sure more drivers - whether of heavy or standard vehicles - make it home safe every day."

WATM • December 2018

19

Over to you LRTAWA by Andy Jacob, President, Livestock and Rural Transport Association of Western Australia (Inc)

Hats off to agriculture A

s this year’s harvest gets into full swing and our members are busy carting grain, it is worth reflecting on how much the WA economy benefits from a thriving agricultural sector.

As well as being the nation’s largest grain producer, agriculture is WA’s second biggest export market next to mining. According to the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, WA exported around $7.64 billion in agricultural products in 2015/16.

Around 80% of our total agricultural production is exported with the majority of product going to Asian markets in China, Indonesia and Vietnam. This export focus is one of the reasons why it is so important we have a productive and efficient rural transport sector in WA. Agriculture is competing in a world market against low cost countries and transport is a significant factor in local cost of production.

It is estimated that agriculture provides jobs for around 185,000 people in WA. This doesn’t include the many businesses that service agriculture both in country towns and

Over to you THE LONE WOLF by John Milner

W

ith the current ‘mini mining boom’ comes more traffic on major highways particularly heading north of Perth and an increase in Oversize Loads.

Essential for industry to survive, Oversize Loads over the years have increased in size and they are certainly something that ‘every’ road user notices.

Over the years, I have been responsible for transporting quite of few of them so I sit on both sides of the fence as a transporter and general motorist.

Nowadays, as I head off down a major highway there are not too many occasions when I ‘don’t come across an Oversize Load – either coming towards 20

WATM • December 2018

me or I end up following one.

I must say, it is good to see most of the crew that manage these loads do know what they are doing in regards to safety and traffic management which is a credit to them.

However, I have noticed on many occasions whilst I am travelling along in my Ute observing other road users when they meet even a small Oversize Load it’s the same story. The escort goes past and you slow down to wait to see what is coming.

When the Oversize Load turns up you see other motorists do a variety of activities from ‘taking to the bush’ or staying on the bitumen and this does cause a bit of a problem.

It is a different story when a big

Oversize comes along – the eight metre loads. They really make the general public head bush at a rapid rate.

I had a Police Escort (Traffic Warden) go crook at me a few times for not getting over into the bush. He was yelling at me, “Its eight metres wide”. My reply to him was, “You will get hit first”.

I have been in my rigid truck with UHF and only a few drivers have called warning me that an Oversize Load was approaching.

Common sense; you are armed with this information you can then drive accordingly.

For the other drivers who ignored the situation and did not make the effort to call and warn me or any other truck driver in the vicinity are you saying, “We do not matter?”

“I’ve noticed there is a recurring theme in recent articles in this magazine.

There appears to be a growing frustration with a small element in the industry who push the boundaries of what’s acceptable.” in the metropolitan area – transporters, mechanics, tyre fitters, supermarkets, stock agents, agronomists, accountants and environmental scientists to name a few.

As you plan your next barbecue, pause for a while to consider how lucky we are to have meat that is produced in a clean environment under strict animal welfare conditions and grain, fruit and vegetables that is high quality and grown in one of the most pest and disease free areas of the world.

Whilst we are in a reflective mood, I’ve noticed there is a recurring theme in recent articles in this magazine. There appears to be a growing frustration with a small element in the industry who push the boundaries of what’s acceptable.

In the age of continuous improvement, more and more innovation, new technology and trucks with sophisticated safety and environmental controls, our industry rightly seeks to gain an advantage from the investment it makes.

We demand that regulators get out of the way and let us run our businesses.

Industry bodies such as ours advocate strongly for greater access, for roads

to be opened up to more productive combinations. We reject red tape and promote self-regulation, however selfregulation brings responsibility.

All transporters have a part to play in making sure we nurture the much sought after ‘level playing field’ where we all have an equal opportunity to compete and follow the same rules, regardless of size or financial strength. We also have a role to play in making sure we don’t hand the regulators evidence to suggest the industry is not yet mature enough for extensive self-regulation.

The transport industry has got behind chain of responsibility laws and most truck drivers have an impressive knowledge of mass and load restraint rules. That level of knowledge is not repeated throughout the supply chain and unfortunately drivers must add ‘educator’ to their list of skills.

It’s not the best position to be in but unless transporters stand up and help consignors understand the rules the level playing field will evaporate.

Rising costs mean transporters, who often have limited ability to pass costs on, are looking for a competitive edge.

We should urge our peers not to find that advantage by side-stepping the regulatory framework and possibly putting their insurance at risk and potentially the safety of other road users. On top of that they will definitely have a negative impact on the reputation of the industry. Peer pressure is a powerful motivator to do the right thing particularly when it comes to risk taking.

Industry associations sometimes receive complaints from members about activities they have witnessed that don’t strictly fit the rules.

Understandably they think the association should do something about it but in reality there is limited scope to make a difference on an individual level.

In the old days a respected member of the industry would make contact with someone thought to be operating on the edge and give them a gentle reminder of their responsibilities, but times have changed.

Perhaps now we all carry the burden of leadership as it’s in our best interests for everyone to tow the line. It certainly makes it easier for industry associations to go into bat for reduced red tape and more access.

Following an Oversize I have found that if you are patient you will get around it.

Not like the time when I was going up North with a hut on the back. I was going through some of the ‘S bends’ up at Eneabba area and a car passed me on a double white line. Then a Jeep passed the car at the same time.

I am sure all the truck drivers have experienced something like this and I think it would be a lot better for all if the public had a better understanding of the workings of the Pilots and that they are there for everyone’s safety. I have seen Pilots nearly climbing out their windows to help try and get the public safely past Oversize loads.

A better idea would be for seven and eight metre wide loads to travel at night at least get them out of the metropolitan area at night. Perhaps there could also be a parking lot for Oversize Loads at the new RTAA in Muchea.

Will the new bypass up to Muchea help this situation? We shall see.

WATM • December 2018

2121

News

Busy North West Coastal Highway junction roundabout completed

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he busy intersection near Geraldton's Bluff Point is now safer following the completion of a $4.4 million roundabout and shared path upgrade at the Hosken Street-North West Coastal Highway junction.

The new four-leg roundabout replaces a T-junction at Hosken Street, providing access to Spalding via Horan Street. There are also separate leftturn lanes on Horan Street, Hosken Street and North West Coastal Highway northbound.

About 12,500 vehicles pass through the Hosken Street intersection on North West Coastal Highway every day, 10 per cent of which are heavy vehicles.

Main Roads Western Australia will monitor traffic flows through the new roundabout and consider the implementation of metred traffic signals on the Hosken Street leg as required.

Transport Minister Rita Saffioti says, “This project has significantly improved safety and efficiency at the intersection. It also aligns with Main Roads' ultimate plan for a dual carriageway on North West Coastal Highway in this location, and provides for heavy and oversized vehicles."

12,500 vehicles pass through the Hosken Street intersection on North West Coastal Highway every day, 10 per cent of which are heavy vehicles

Tougher penalties for workplaces

P

enalties for breaches of Western Australia’s workplace health and safety laws have increased. The new penalties are consistent with the national model Work Health and Safety Act (Model Act), with a further 14 per cent increase for inflation since 2010.

Examples for a first offence by a body corporate include: Level 1 penalties increase from $50,000 to $450,000.

Level 4 penalties increase from $500,000 to $2.7 million.

Terms of imprisonment for individual offenders have also increased from two to five years for level 4 offences.

The new penalties have been incorporated into the respective Acts will apply in workplaces covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984 and the Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994.

Regional Run-Off Road Crashes program targets high priority roads

A

total of 19 projects across regional Western Australia will share $25 million in funding targeted at reducing the impact of run-off crashes on rural roads.

The Regional Run-Off Road Crashes program will deliver vital road safety improvements to 19 sections of rural road covering more than 160 kilometres across the State.

Projects included in this year's round of funding include: • $2.6 million to widen shoulders, improve intersections and install audible edge lining on Albany Highway in the Great Southern region (Kojonup to Balgarup Road); • $2.9 million for shoulder widening on Pinjarra Williams Road in the SouthWest region (Dwellingup to Murray Shire boundary); • $3.8 million to widen shoulders and install audible edge lining on the Great Eastern Highway west of Kalgoorlie in the Goldfields; and • $2 million for shoulder widening on the Great Northern Highway in the Mid-West/Gascoyne region.

Funded by the Road Trauma Trust Account, the program has identified and prioritised regional roads with an above average single vehicle run-off road crash risk for safety treatments.

Treatments include widening roads

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WATM • December 2018

and sealing gravel shoulders to enable drivers to regain control of their vehicle safely, in the event it leaves the road; as well as installing audible edge lines to warn drivers when they may be in danger of drifting off the road.

To date, 1,465 kilometres of road have been treated since the program's inception - representing a third of all regional roads identified as a priority.

A recent study by the Curtin-Monash Accident Research Centre that analysed 57 locations treated under the program found that, on average, the sites saw a 35.5 per cent reduction in all incidents and a 25.6 per cent reduction in drivers killed or seriously injured.

The Regional Run-Off Road Crashes program is part of a $77.79 million commitment to a series of road safety initiatives across four programs including the Safer Roads program ($28.49 million), the State Black Spots program ($20 million, plus $5 million from local governments) and the Urban Intersection Crashes program ($4.3 million).

Road Safety Minister Michelle Roberts says, “Funding for the regional run-off program is derived from the Road Trauma Trust Account, and represents the revenue from speed and red light cameras.

"This is Road Trauma Trust Account funding being used for what it was intended for

- reducing tragedy on our roads by investing in safety solutions in areas of higher risk.

"Far too many crashes still occur in our regions. These treatments will make regional roads safer."

The 2018-19 program will include works to install road safety treatments at the following locations: • Albany Highway between Kojonup and Balgarup Road • South Coast Highway between Albany and Willyung • South Western Highway between Ordnance Road and Walpole • South Western Highway between Waroona and Yarloop • Pinjarra Williams Road between Dwellingup and Murray Shire • South Western Highway between Wokalup and Brunswick • Bussell Highway at Treeton Road • South Western Highway between Quinninup and Middleton Road • Indian Ocean Drive south of Jurien Bay • Burkett Road east of Minilya-Exmouth Road • Shark Bay Road • Three sections of Great Northern Highway • Great Eastern Highway west of Anzac Drive • Three sections of Paraburdoo-Tom Price Road

Changes to Load Restraint Guide Please note the following change to the Load Restraint Guide:

T

Local government road funding to increase

O

verall funding for Western Australia's vast network of local government roads will increase under a new agreement struck between the State Government and the WA Local Government Assoc iation (WALGA).

The State Government has approved a new five-year State Road Funds to Local Government Agreement which guarantees councils receive 20 per cent of total State vehicle licence fee collections.

The agreement means the pool of funding shared by local governments will escalate from $182.3 million in 2018-19 to an estimated $203.4 million in 2022-23.

Under the new agreement, funding will be split into two categories. The local government managed programs will receive 66 per cent of annual funding in direct grants, road project grants, State Black Spot allocations and for strategic and technical support.

The remaining 34 per cent of funding goes to the Main Roads managed programs, which include State initiatives on local roads, bridgeworks and bridge inspections, and remote Aboriginal access roads.

Transport Minister Rita Saffioti says, "The local road asset base in WA is worth more than $25 billion and forms a critical component of the State's transport network. These roads cover more than 127,000 kilometres or 86.5 per cent of all the roads in WA. "Although the State Road Funds to Local Government Agreement is not the only source of State Government road funding for councils, it is a significant plank in local governments being able to plan for and deliver important road services throughout WA.

"The agreement recognises the need for co-operation and co-ordination between the two tiers of government which have an interest in roads. It will ensure that the most efficient, effective and equitable use can be made of the limited funds available for roads and that the best possible outcomes are achieved.

Fuel tax should be frozen

N

ational Road Transport Association (NatRoad) CEO Warren Clark has called on the Federal Government to heed Senator John Williams’ call for a freezing of fuel excise.

“Senator Williams understands the road transport industry,” said Mr Clark. “He gets that fuel prices are a large percentage of operator’s costs, around 30%.

“Tax on diesel is currently at 41.2 cents per litre. The rate is increased twice a year in line with inflation.

“In the 2017-2018 year, just under $11 billion was raised from excise on diesel fuel.

“For the year to 30 June 2018 fuel prices rose by 16.7% and 15.5% for linehaul and short-haul operators respectively. At that

he loading performance standards have now been included in the Mass Dimension and Loading Regulations.

While the legal intent has not changed, the wording in the regulations is slightly different to what is in the current Load Restraint Guide (page 4).

You can download the new Page 4 at: www.ntc.gov.au/ heavy-vehicles/safety/loadrestraint-guide/ If you have already printed or purchased a copy of the Load Restraint Guide, NTC recommends printing a copy of the revised Page 4 and inserting it into your copy of the 2018 Guide.

Future maintenance of the Load Restraint Guide will be handled by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR).

time diesel fuel prices were at their highest since September 2014 and have continued to increase in this quarter, largely due to the fall in the Australian dollar.

“The road transport industry is currently heavily reliant on diesel fuel.

99% of trucks and around 50% of light commercial vehicles are diesel fuelled.

“Margins in the transport sector are tight. Increased costs will need to be passed on. This means increased prices in consumer goods and services to the general community.

“In 2001 John Howard did the right thing and stopped indexation of fuel excise. This was restored in November 2014 and now means that people are hurting more when the price of fuel rises – there’s a double whammy because the actual cost of fuel rises and the tax payable on the fuel rises, making transport more financially difficult for families and for the industry.

“We hope the Government will follow Senator Williams’ advice and freeze the fuel excise at current levels, “Mr Clark concluded.

WATM • December 2018

23

Over to you

GOOD FINDS

Colin Danks' Dodge Fargo

P

eter Collins has just purchased a pair of Flintstone Macks from the Wanneroo area. As always, there is a bit of a story that goes with club members and their ‘good finds’.

It all started a while ago when Kevin Lockyer was asked to inspect the two old dogs in the picture. One has a good motor, the other one a bit smoky, not sure which one has the rust. Rumour has it that Peter didn't get permission from his wife to go ahead with the purchase however, he had to go home and explain as it might involve selling a couple of shipping containers and her ute to finance the deal.

All's well that ends well and Peter is now out of the ‘Dog House’. His next step was to find good mate, neighbour and fellow HCVC member Daryl Thatcher (pictured) to drive both of the trucks home as Peter doesn't fit in the cab very well.

Just as well a permit was organised for the trip home as on the day they were

24

WATM • December 2018

Flintstone Macks

pulled up by a local policeman to check where they were going. Shortly after there was a police pursuit and they were nearly on the nightly news as a stolen car was pulled over.

Now both trucks are tucked safely in their new home at Oakford. We are unsure of what will happen to them next; maybe the house will be put on the market to

finance a couple of six figure restorations.

Colin Danks found this 1940’s Dodge Fargo in a shed somewhere near Kukerin. It hadn't been used for a while and was going to be towed back to his home however, a bit of fuel in the tank and it fired up after a short tow start and drove back to its new home without missing a beat.

That’s what you call a “good find”.

History

The History of the West Australian Road Transport Industry

By Russell McKinnon

1953 F

rom The West Australian of Friday, August 14: “Road Transport Ban Attacked. Allegations that the Transport Board was attempting to bolster up the railways at the expense of road transport were made at the 29th conference of the Road Board Association yesterday.

The conference, which began in Perth on Tuesday, ended yesterday. In a resolution deploring the interference of the Transport Board in the free use of road transport facilities, the conference asked for the lifting of restrictions on primary producers using their own vehicles. Mr D C Dowdell (Mundaring) said that his board considered that no country could afford to penalise any form of transport, particularly in such a vast State as Western Australia. Mr A W Latham (Narembeen) said that no-one was more concerned than the primary producer when the Government proposed to close a railway line, yet the conference was asking for farmers to be able to ‘pick the eyes’ out of freight transport. Mr J Campbell (Cranbrook) contended that the railways were outmoded and that the annual deficit could be diverted to building all-weather roads. Concern was expressed over the danger caused by broken bottles on roads.

It was resolved that as most bottles were discarded because of their negligible return value, steps should be taken to eliminate the present method of branding or, alternatively, to increase the return value.”

(Above left) Frank Manford Pty Ltd trucks at Fremantle Port 1953.

(Above) Skipper Bailey Motor Co. displays at the Perth Royal Show, 1953 Both images sourced from the collections of the State Library of Western Australia and reproduced with the permission of the Library Board of Western Australia

From The West Australian of October 20: “SERVICE GIVEN BY ROAD TRANSPORT. Motor transport for the carriage of all types of commodities over long distances has developed to a great extent in this State during the past few years. On occasions, the availability of motor transport has been of inestimable value to the State. Some idea of the importance of road transport to the State may be gathered from the fact that in the 1950-51 season no less than 48 percent of the wheat scheduled for export was transported to the wharves by road, while in the following season this had increased to 50 percent (the greater part of which would have remained undelivered and unshipped had not road transport been used). Goods moved inward to the State's wharves in the year 1952-53 totalled 452.328 tons, of which 412,144 tons was moved by road and 40,184 tons by rail. Goods moved outward (excluding bulk wheat) totalled 265,553 tons, of which 152,890 tons went by road and 112,663 tons by rail. At March 31 last there were 52,738 wagons, vans and utilities

in use throughout the State (17,501 in the metropolitan area), plus 1016 buses (530 in the metropolitan area), and the number of new vehicles added during the month was 467. The Federal Minister for Shipping and Transport. (Senator McLeay), in a recent message to the annual conference of the Australian Road Transport Federation in Perth, said: ‘It is not possible to look at the problems of long-distance road transport in isolation. They must be regarded in a wider perspective, in which Government shave the obligation and the difficulties of providing adequate and efficient national transport services. I am hopeful that in the course of time there will be an alleviation of the restrictions, which are now found necessary on certain aspects of road transport, and I am hopeful that the administration of road transport controls throughout Australia will be characterised by a greater uniformity in all its aspects.’

This State's Road Transport Association, the only organisation catering for and guarding the interests of the road carrier, has almost 1000 members operating between them no less than1800 vehicles.

The main fleet of road vehicles engaged until this season in the cartage of wheat was valued at over £1,250,000, while the estimated value of other road vehicles of association members is at least a further £2,000,000.”

The Furniture Removers’ Section lauded, at its December 14 General Meeting, the Traffic Department decision to install traffic lights at the West Perth Subway, leading to a swifter movement of traffic.

It was suggested also, that “during these summer nights, meetings would be improved if some liquid refreshments could be provided… and that each member present would subscribe three shillings each”. It was carried unanimously, WITH acclamation!

WATM • December 2018

25

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