NSW lagging behind on rest stops, says NRFA

ROD Hannifey is hoping that truckies finally got the message about parking bays through to NSW Roads Minister Sam Farraway at the National Road Freighters Association (NRFA) conference in Wagga Wagga earlier this month.

This issue went to the printers just prior to the February 11 summit, but the Dubbo-based NRFA president had vowed to vent his frustrations to Farraway, a guest speaker.

“I will be involved in the federal steering committee for truck rest areas, and it’s good to see NSW is stepping up to it,”

Hannifey told ABC News.

“But honestly, it’s taken far too long and blokes have been put into situations they should never have been put in if we had suitable and sufficient truck rest areas. It’s ridiculous.”

Hannifey said truckies often had no choice but to drive “buggered” due to a shortage of truck bays and rest stop facilities.

He says trucks bays being demolished in NSW to make way for more overtaking lanes is only exacerbating the issue and cited bays near Trewilga, Boggabilla, the Pilliga, and West Wyalong as recent losses.

Farraway said the state government was reforming its rest stop policies and is seeking truckies’ feedback on the issue until February 28 at haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/heavy-vehiclerest-stops.

“The best way we can develop better rest stop policy is to actually listen to truckies,” Farraway said.

“I want to hear from truckies across our state on how we can do this better so we can develop good policy.”

A sceptical Hannifey said it was great to see more government consultation on the issue, but was adamant that it should have come sooner.

Hannifey, along with three other association luminaries and five truckies – Kellie Boland, Bruce Skelton, Frank Black, Heather Jones and Craig Forsyth – have their first rest area steering committee meeting in Canberra on February 20-21.

The committee, which is chaired by WA Senator Glenn Sterle, is tasked with deciding how $140 million in federal funds will be spent on truckies’ rest areas around Australia over the next decade.