Research finds women motorists more truck aware than men

NatRoad commissioned a national research project earlier this year to understand public perceptions of our industry and we will highlight some of the interesting take-outs in the newsletter from time to time.

One is that women motorists have higher awareness of trucks than men.

Some 93% of women and only 85% of men say they are aware that a truck driver may be unable to see their car when sharing the road.

Some 88% of women and 80% of men make a habit of being on the inside of a turning truck while females (85% vs 80%) show slightly higher respect for the size of a heavy vehicle.

Awareness and good behaviour on the road by Australians towards trucks is generally well understood… if not always practiced.

Where opinions do converge is the topic of the need for truck awareness being a mandatory aspect of anyone driving on our roads with 92% of men and women in support of it being part of driver education and licence testing.

Tempest Minerals targeted drill program intersected visible copper and semi-massive sulphides. The multiple mineralisation zones are directly comparable to the nearby Golden Grove mine - one of WA's most successful highgrade copper, zinc and precious metals mining operations.

Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston said, “Since 2017, we have provided nearly $80 million in funding for innovative programs and strategies designed to attract exploration investment. "Mineral exploration expenditure in Western Australia reached a record $2.4 billion in 2021, an increase of 34 per cent on 2020. The final three tee-roff beams have been installed on the new Ranford Road Bridge in a major milestone for the METRONET Thornlie-Cockburn Link Project.

The first seven beams were installed in May last year, with the final three now completing the process.

At 50 metres long and weighing 200-tonne, the beams are some of the largest of their type built in Australia and were manufactured locally by Georgiou Group at a precast facility in Hazelmere.

The final section of bridge build is expected to be complete and fully operational next year. Following this, the freight rail underneath the bridge will be relocated several metres to the north, and the passenger rail will be laid in its place.

The new Ranford Road Bridge will be higher and longer than the original and will feature six general traffic lanes, bus lanes, and a shared path on each side.

It will cater for an estimated average annual two-way traffic flow of 45,000 vehicles a day by 2031.

Support for mineral exploration in WA

Applications for Round 26 of the Exploration Incentive Scheme's (EIS) co-funded drilling program and Series 4 of the Energy Analysis Program (EAP) have opened.

The co-funded drilling program encourages innovative exploration in greenfields and under-explored areas of Western Australia, while the EAP promotes the re-analysis of existing data to better understand the State's energy systems.

Recent successes include Strike Energy's gas discovery at its South Erregulla 1 well in February 2022. The drilling program extended the known gas field in the North Perth basin.

Battery cathode precursor production pilot plant launches in Perth

The State Government has welcomed the launch of the Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre's (FBICRC) Cathode Precursor Production pilot plant.

Located at Curtin University in Bentley, the Australian-first pilot plant will help design and build cathode precursor manufacturing facilities on a commercial and industrial scale.

Cathode precursors are a crucial element of the battery value chain and include nickel, cobalt, manganese, graphite and lithium. Together with graphite, aluminium and copper, Western Australia produces all the elements needed for modern batteries.