Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan has signed off on an order to amend the Transport Co-ordination Act, to regulate woodchip and log haulage to the Port of Bunbury.
Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan has signed off on an order to amend the Transport Co-ordination Act, to regulate woodchip and log haulage to the Port of Bunbury.
The full text of an announcement from the Minister's office is pasted below
The State Government will regulate the haulage of woodchips and logs in the South-West to ensure that the movement of timber products by rail destined for the Port of Bunbury is economically viable.
Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan said she had today signed off on an order to amend the Transport Coordination Act, to take effect from December 1, 2007.
The regulations were now being prepared for gazettal.
"We want to provide the best balance between road and rail freight, to ensure the impacts of freight on communities are minimised and that valuable rail infrastructure is not lost," Ms MacTiernan said.
"Without some regulation, it is clear it will be impossible to keep important rail infrastructure in operation.
"So far the State Government has committed $14.45million total funding for infrastructure with the intention of working in partnership with industry to ensure rail is competitive with road transport.
"This investment is intended to provide for the movement of about seven million tonnes of plantation woodchips and logs transported by rail in the South-West over the next 10 years.
"It would have led to a significant reduction of truck traffic on the South West Highway.
"However, it was proving impossible for the timber companies and the rail operators to reach agreement on a realistic price because of the amount of product being lost to competitors using road transport."
Other initiatives to improve traffic conditions on the South West Highway included:
- from 2001-02 six new overtaking lanes and an extension of an existing lane have been constructed, along with the widening or reconstruction of approximately 14km of highway;
- in 2006-07 a further 3.6km of widening and reconstruction south of Donnybrook was funded from the Safer Roads program and was completed in May 2007; and
- five kilometres of shoulder sealing north of Greenbushes is programmed for June/July 2007.
The Government already required that iron ore road haulage operations in the Mid-West were licensed under the Transport Coordination Act for those operations within 100km of a serviceable railway to use rail.
Under this arrangement, permits had been issued to mining companies allowing them to haul bulk iron ore by road transport where rail transport was not a practical option.
