The collision of two heavy haulage trucks carrying grain near Amelup earlier this week highlights the poor state of rural roads, WAFarmers President Dale Park said.
“Our roads are deteriorating rapidly and this is contributing to a serious decline in the safety of transport and travel in rural WA,” Mr Park said.
There have been three accidents, including the truck collision and a separate fatality, on Chesterpass Road in the last two months.
WAFarmers zone delegate Ken Pech has attributed the declining road standard to a lack of funding and the abandonment of Tier 3 rail.
“There’s not enough money being allocated to roads and this is complicated by the fact that the State Government won’t do anything with the Tier 3 rail,” Mr Pech said.
WAFarmers has previously expressed concern for the safety of rural communities and road users, particularly since the number of heavy truck movements has increased since the closure of Tier 3 rail.
WAFarmers believes the solution is for the government to commit to investing sufficient funds in road and rail infrastructure to ensure rural roads are safe for all road users and the rail network is fully utilised to efficiently move grain and other freight to port.
“The owners of the rail are also the owners of the road and it’s about time they owned up to some of their responsibilities,” Mr Park said.
Ends.
All media requests can be directed to WAFarmers Media and Communications Officer Sophie Kilby on (08) 9486 2100 or [email protected].
