Letters to the Editor

Letters

Over to you YOUR SAY

to the editor

Hi Karen, I am the HR/HSEQ Manager for MGM Bulk, a transport company that has branches across WA. I am also the Chair of PIRSA (Pilbara Industry Road Safety Alliance). I am sending you this communication as the PIRSA Chair.

PIRSA is an alliance formed by industry to improve road safety across the Pilbara Region. One of the items on our agenda is the cattle issue that is currently present on Great Northern Highway (GNH). This has resulted in many incidents for all hauliers (and I imagine the public) who use this road with at least one of which resulted in a fatality.

Can we please have some leadership from the Minister and Main Roads regarding animal hazards on roads in WA’s pastoral regions. In April 2020, the WA Transport Magazine published an article by Main Roads that detailed the Pastoral Animal Hazard Advisory Group convened by them to influence improved outcomes in this area. In the article Brett Belstead, Director of Network Management says, “We are, and will continue working with pastoralists, and other key stakeholders to undertake research and identify opportunities to combat this issue.”

This Advisory Group has not seen any progress in the reduction of this hazard. In fact, it came to my attention in a social media post by ABC Kimberley on 2 July 2020, that the group had been put on the backburner due to the COVID-19 pandemic and that the Minister will be seeking further advice before the working group is re-established.

Way back on the 31 May 2011, there was an inaugural meeting of the group ‘Fencing Road Reserve in Pastoral Regions Main Roads/PGA and Stakeholders’ which you can find atparliament.wa.gov.au/ publications/tabledpapers.nsf/displaypaper/ 4011232ce153ff1e33a197094825826c00075309/ $file/tp-1232.pdf. This is evidential of an issue that has spanned a minimum of 10 years ago continuing to pose a threat to Perth’s south and reserve the area for future infrastructure delivery.

The state government released the independent Westport Taskforce Stage Two Report in August which recommended a land-backed port be built within the Kwinana Industrial Area, connected by an efficient freight corridor via Anketell Road, Thomas Road and Tonkin Highway.

The recommended container port at Kwinana includes upgrading Anketell Road into a freight route connecting the port directly to Tonkin Highway and the logistics precincts in outer the Perth property and lives. In fact, a haulier operating out of Port Hedland experienced the loss of life to one of its operators due to a cow strike incident last year, and still nothing has changed and no progress has been made.

Main Roads representatives provide information at our alliance meetings and have advised they are continuing to negotiate with Pastoralists regarding fencing. However, they are making little progress and there is still a lot of unfenced area along Great Northern Highway and cattle are still a major hazard on the roads. This needs to be addressed before we lose more lives.

I have reached out to the Cattleman’s Association, however they were not able to attend one of our meetings to enable us to work together on a solution to this matter. ~ Niomi Higgs, Chair – Pilbara Industry Road Safety Alliance Ed’s note:Your letter has been sent to the WA State Government and their response

News

Work underway on Perth’s new, modern freight corridor

Work is underway to finalise designs for an expanded Anketell Road in

will be published in the magazine. metropolitan area.

Some sections of Anketell Road already have a Planning Control Area in place, which protects the area as a freight corridor, while other parts of the road will need such plans put in place to ensure that future development considers the planned freight corridor.

Early planning is also underway with regards to the future capacity and use of Thomas and Rowley roads.

The McGowan Government has allocated $25 million, from the $97.2 million allocation, for planning, corridor design and community and land owner engagement along with potential land acquisition along Anketell Road and Thomas Road

The Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage and Main Roads WA will now undertake environmental assessments and planning design to help inform new Planning Control Areas, which will ultimately result in amendments to the Metropolitan Region Scheme. This will be done progressively over the next four years.

Consultation will be undertaken with all landowners in the area and the State Government will continue to work collaboratively with local governments to ensure development proposals along