A House of Representatives standing committee report has called on the federal government to give urgent consideration to funding the upgrade of the stretch of road between Ravensthorpe and Munglinup River, as BHP Billiton’s $2.8 billion Ravensthorpe nickel mine threatens to create an infrastructure pressure point.
The Great Freight Task, a report, complied by the standing committee on transport and regional services, pointed to major shortcomings in Australia’s transport network, as forecasts of a doubling in freight on the country’s road, rail and port networks by 2020 loom.
At the forefront of the report’s key concerns and recommendations was that urgent action be taken on upgrading the road between Ravensthorpe and the Munglinup River, to cater for extra traffic as a result of the nickel mine.
Between $10 million and $11 million had previously been set aside by Main Roads WA to create overtaking lanes and upgrade a bridge. But, since then, Main Roads has advised that the funding allocated will no longer be enough and the road must be completely rebuilt, according to the report.
Some widening has reportedly been undertaken on the critical stretch of road between the mine and Munglinup River.
Nickel from the Ravensthorpe mine, located 155 kilometres west of Esperance, will be transported by road to the Esperance port, and then transported by ship to a refinery near Townsville in Queensland.
Half a million tonnes of sulphur is also imported through Esperance and trucked to the mine site.
BHP Billiton estimates that mine traffic will make up about 54 one-way movements each day. The Shire of Ravensthorpe has asked that the road be funded as a road of national importance or be categorised within the Auslink network, a view endorsed by the committee.
BHP Billiton has also sought recognition of the road as being of national and economic importance.
The traffic load for the road is a combination of grain and general freight, as well as passenger traffic from tourists and school buses.
Most of the mine’s workers and their families will be based in Hopetoun, which is on another route.
Both BHP Billiton and the Shire of Ravensthorpe have expressed concerns at the mix of normal traffic, tourists and farm tractors all sharing the road with 88-tonne B-double trucks carrying a net load of 70 to 75 tonnes.
Over the course of the inquiry, the standing committee received 194 submissions and held 30 public hearings with key stakeholders, travelling extensively throughout the country to carry out inspections at important transport centres.
