APRIL 15, 2015 \ MARIBYRNONG.STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
NEWS + SPORT + THE WEST’S BEST PROPERTY GUIDE
On their marks
(Shawn Smits)
Hobsons Bay Running Club is inviting the community to help celebrate a milestone on Anzac Day. Following a one-minute silence, the club will hold its 250th 5000-metre handicap at 8.01am on April 25. Formed in 1994, the social running club regularly holds runs around the Williamstown and Newport area of Port Phillip Bay. Club member Kieran Leonard (pictured) says current, past and new members are invited to register for the five-kilometre run, which will be followed by a complementary barbecue breakfast at the clubrooms, situated at the Old Gatehouse next to Newport Power Station. “We run Tuesday and Thursday nights and Sunday mornings,” Leonard said. “We’re not-for-profit and we’ve got about 65 active members.” No fees will be charged for the anniversary event, but people are asked to register in advance and confirm their presence at 7.45am at the corner of The Strand and North Road, Newport. For more information, visit www.hobos.org.au. Goya Dmytryshchak
Load on residents’ minds An industry push to increase truck loads to more than 85 tonnes has alarmed opponents of freight on the inner-west’s roads. The proposal, put to Roads Minister Luke Donnellan by some of Australia’s biggest container transport companies, would make loads almost 20 per cent heavier than the 68.5-tonne weight limit currently allowed on arterial routes. This would enable trucks to carry two fully loaded 20-foot shipping containers and build on the former Napthine government’s green
light for trucks up to 30 metres to travel on key freight runs. A “last-mile” loophole enables freight operators to apply to access local operations via roads such as Footscray’s Whitehall Street, Yarraville’s Francis Street and Williamstown Road, and Altona North’s Grieve Parade. Container Transport Alliance Australia director Neil Chambers said the freight industry wanted trucks to operate “wherever they’re physically able” to avoid losing container trade to other states. A spokesman for Mr Donnellan said the government would always look at more efficient
ways to safely move freight around the state and would consider all industry proposals. “Victoria has a strong reputation as a leader in freight and logistics and it’s important that we are doing what we can to ensure that remains so,” the minister said. “As a government, we want to strike the right balance between boosting productivity in the freight industry yet still accommodating the needs of other road users.” Maribyrnong Truck Action Group lobbyist Samantha McArthur said the latest push failed to address the broader issue of freight movement. “The aim is to get freight off the
roads and I think the government has to get really serious about freight on rail,” she said. “We have got a quadrupling of container numbers through the Port of Melbourne by 2030, so no matter how many HPFVs [high productivity freight vehicles] you have, the number of road trips is going to rise.” Ms McArthur said there was no place for larger, heavier trucks on residential streets. “We already see the damage done … and the danger they pose from a safety perspective, with B-doubles and semis. They are not intended for residential roads; they would be a really big problem for Melbourne’s inner-west.”
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