MORE rural roads in Goulburn Mulwaree could be freed up for Bdouble trucks under a council proposal to make livestock carrying easier.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Local carriers, including Richard Carter, Barney Collins and Fred Troutman have been pitching the case for several years.
The Livestock and Bulk Carriers Association has also been front and centre of talks with the Roads and Maritime service and councils.
It is aiming to alter road volume loadings and dedicate more B-double routes throughout the state.
Goulburn carrier Richard Carter said it was all about efficiency and animal welfare.
More than often, graziers and haulers had to carry stock and produce in several trips just to meet load limits on roads.
Goulburn Mulwaree Council has endorsed eight new B-double routes, subject to bridge assessments being carried out.
They are: Brisbane Grove Rd, Chinamans Lane, Currawang Rd (Braidwood Rd to council boundary); Gurrundah Rd (starting at Deccan St, Addison and extending to Pomeroy Rd), Painters Lane, Range Rd (Deccan St to boundary), Taralga Rd (Ross St to boundary and Windellama Rd (Brisbane Grove to Oallen Ford Rd).
“It all sounds very positive,” Mr Carter said of the Council decision.
“Any moves to standardise and legalise these routes will be greatly appreciated by the farming community.”
Mr Carter appreciated people would be concerned about the impact on country roads but said the state government was “very proactive” with funding to assist councils to undertake survey and bridgework.
“There is money coming so if councils can get their hands on some of that, we can make progress.”
Roads Minister Duncan Gay has announced that as part of the $20 billion Rebuilding NSW plan that the Coalition was taking to the March election, $3.7b would be injected into country highways, roads and bridges, including a $1bn upgrade to the Newell Highway.
Mr Carter said while some councils had been proactive in investigating more B-double routes, others had not.
Goulburn Mulwaree Council general manager Warwick Bennett is sympathetic.
He said the primary sector was a key economic driver.
The council will spend $7000-$10,000 each on six bridge and causeway assessments.
“We don’t have the expertise to do it ourselves,” Mr Bennett said.
“It’s quite a bit of money but in terms of the long-term benefits to the agricultural industry in the region it’s not a substantial amount if it means getting product to the market and the Hume Highway in a more efficient manner.”
He will ask councillors in February to allocate funds for the assessments and then call expressions of interest from consultants.
“We need to keep pressure on the state government to replace some of these bridges when they are important to getting agricultural produce out,” Mr Bennett said.
Goulburn district grazier Angus Gibson appreciated the commitment.
He said every level of government talked about preserving prime agricultural land but if producers couldn’t move product effectively, there was little point.
He stressed that while people were rightly concerned about bridge quality, especially on Currawang Rd, the agricultural sector supported thousands of jobs locally.