Extract of Western Roads Federation submission on Resilience to Federal Government

Western Roads Federation (WRF) was invited to give evidence before the Federal Inquiry into Resilience. Following our evidence the committee asked us, to provide them a view on what good resilience looks like.

Note our response includes input from the NT Road Transport Association.

Weather Hardening

Investing in the weather hardening of identified high risk freight routes. Weather hardening to include elevating road infrastructure design whilst strengthening and upgrading bridges and culverts.

Productivity and Safety: Integrating the removal of productivity constraints should be included in the weather hardening projects. Additionally, improved rest areas (see comments below on Refuges and Defence) should also be integrated.

Early and Accurate Warning: The lack of timely information and warnings especially re flooding risks on remote and regional highways is required.

Develop Alternative Routes and Modes

Prioritising the sealing of alternative freight routes to the highly vulnerable Port Hedland to Katherine route. Options could include accelerating the sealing of the Great Central and Tanami Roads, with consideration given to the Plenty Hwy connecting Alice Springs to Western Queensland.

The current Katherine River bridge is a considered a critical risk by our industry. The loss or major disruption to this bridge means that Darwin is isolated by road. The planned second (alternative) Katherine River bridge is currently in the 15-20year forward plans, these plans must be brought forward.

Consideration to having a coastal shipping capacity, noting that it took 6 weeks for one single ship to be organised, loaded, and arrive in Perth when the EastWest rail line was closed to flooding. Where barge arrangements are implemented, wherever possible containers should be double stacked to maximise freight capacity. For that to occur there will need to be a capacity to load and unload containers on to trailers at either end.

Locally Held Buffer Stocks

Identified vulnerable regions need to have the capacity to hold a defined number of days of essential stock. As this provides time for the freight and logistics system to adjust and respond. Finally, management of community expectations needs to be improved such that unreasonable and unsafe pressure is not placed on drivers and our industry to respond

Standing Arrangements

Leadership and Co-ordination: Consideration should be given to establishing an appropriate leadership team where multi jurisdiction response is required. Such a team be stood up when required to plan and co-ordinate the freight and logistics system response.

Pre-Approvals and Delegated

Authorities: That standing arrangements be put in place to enable identified alternative freight routes to be quickly approved and upgraded if required.

Financial Arrangements

Local Government: Local Government own 88% of WA’s and similar percentages in the NT. The ability of Local Governments to response to immediately commence repair and improve roads damaged in events is delayed by current Federal and State funding arrangements.

Transport Financial Subsidies: That standing pre-agreed freight subsidy be available to cover any additional cost of freight travel. This will significantly speed up the response effort on any alternative routes.

Federal Funding: Rain events are by nature unpredictable and the NT Government does not have enough funding to address flood mitigation on even the most critical sections of the Stuart Highway.

Roadhouse Refuges

As per our evidence before the Royal Commission into Natural Disasters, we identified that disruptions to major routes on our remote and regional highways can leave both trucks and cars isolated for prolonged periods. A key issue identified during the major Eyre Highway fires was that both travellers and trucks were spread across multiple formal and informal rest areas over 100’s of kilometres. This made support to such stranded people extremely difficult. Therefore, we recommended that:

• Remote Area roadhouses to be designated as refuge points along vulnerable routes.

• Such roadhouses to be pre-supplied with containers of food and water, to be unlocked when directed. (Note: One family of six was reportedly charged $10 for a litre of water when stranded for several days).

• That upgraded Heavy Vehicle rest areas be co-located near such Roadhouses, as these can also provide additional response and refuge area benefits

That in collaboration with Telstra, the mobile digital capacity be increased of such designated refuge’s

Integration with National Security

Australia’s ability to support and sustain high level intensive operations from its Northern bases is perceived as an identified weakness due to the highly vulnerable internal lines of supply (freight routes).

Alternative freight routes and options discussed above should be supported and integrated into any national defence plans.

That heavy vehicle rest areas along major freight routes should be upgraded and sealed to enable military convoy packets to use them when required.

Other

That road reserve fuel loads adjoining major freight routes be cleared, as our industry believes these significantly contribute to freight route road closures during fires as well as increasing the risk of animal strikes.

Related to the above is the threat posed by to overhead power lines by the perceived increase in high intensity bushfires. The loss of power to communities and response agencies will impact the recovery time frames.

That financial incentives be given to transport companies operating along vulnerable routes to have both Satellite phones and telematic tracking.