CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY FOR RURAL ROAD FREIGHT
Friday, 23 December 2011 09:50
Media Releases - Kevin Anderson Media Release
Thursday 1 December 2011
CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY FOR RURAL ROAD FREIGHT
Visiting the Tamworth electorate today, NSW Minister for Roads & Ports Duncan Gay, together with Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson, announced an exemption to allow modernised road trains to travel on the Kamilaroi Highway from Narrabri to the Gunnedah Regional Saleyards.
“To Make NSW Number One again, we need to get it moving again – both by rail and by road,” Mr Gay said.
“A safe and sensible way to increase freight efficiency is to provide greater access to more modern and productive freight trucks, in the process reducing the number of vehicle movements on our roads.”
Mr Gay said the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government was delighted to help support the growth of Gunnedah’s local economy by allowing more modern and productive freight trucks to access the saleyards.
“This reform will allow A-double road trains fitted with road-friendly suspended tri-axle dollies and B-Triple and AB-Triple trucks to service the saleyards resulting in a more efficient road freight outcome for northwest NSW.
“Significantly, the tri-axle dolly on these modern road trains will be permitted to operate at 20 tonnes for General Mass Limits (GML) and 21 tonnes for Concessional Mass Limits (CML).”
Mr Gay said on average, for every modern road train operating at an increased mass limit you can reduce the number of semi-trailer movements on the road by up to 45%.
“This leads to safer and more productive results for the road freight network, which in turn leads to enhanced trade, investment and employment opportunities for country communities like Gunnedah,” he said.
Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) recently ranked the Gunnedah Regional Saleyards as the second-largest cattle selling centre in NSW.
Almost 133,000 head of cattle drawn from as far afield as Bourke and Central Queensland were sold through the saleyards last financial year, worth nearly $100 million in revenue.
This year, the Gunnedah Shire Council announced $850,000 in funding to improve and expand the saleyards including the construction of 60 new selling and holding pens.
Working in partnership with the Gunnedah and Narrabri shire councils, the NSW Government will undertake approximately $400,000 of safety works on the 90 kilometre stretch of highway, including the installation of a number of wire rope safety barriers.
Weather permitting; the safety road works are due for completion by Easter 2012 at which time the route will be open to modernised road trains.
Mr Gay said congratulations must go to Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson, Barwon MP and Minister for Western NSW Kevin Humphries and Gunnedah Mayor Adam Marshall for working closely with Roads & Maritime Services and the Freight & Regional Development Division of Transport for NSW to deliver this safe and sensible road reform.
In the first nine months since gaining office, the State Government has worked closely with country communities and businesses to start improving freight productivity on NSW roads; including:
Additional information
Once a number of recommended road safety works are completed (e.g. installation of wire rope safety barriers along some sections of the highway and improved road access to the saleyards), the assessment indicated the route was suitable for use by modern road train combinations.
While it is recognised that the tri-axle dolly approach means road trains utilising a tandem axle dolly will be prohibited from using the route, the reform represents an opportunity for industry to transition to more modern and safer truck configurations.
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