THE HIGHWAYMEN. An ode to Main Roads by Alfred Noyes

The road was lined with white crosses as it twisted passed purple moors- while huge tip-trucks came driving, driving ,driving up to Allawuna farm’s door.

Time waits for no man, unless you are a State Government Minister.

Courtesy of the Greens, Robin Chapple, we have the answer, dated 27 March, 2018, from a question asked on Tuesday 5 December 2017, in the Legislative Council. (You would hate to ask Ministers if they are OK!)

The response (see below) comes via the Cape of Good Hope and the Orient Express from the current Minister for Transport via the current Minister for the Environment, delivered ( hot off the press) to Mr. Chapple’s office and to me last night, then straight to you.

We have already been told that there were 42 serious accidents, including 8 deaths, on the Great Southern Highway, from The Lakes to St. Ronan’s, between 2001 and 2016.

We have now been advised that from, and including, 2016, the average daily traffic count is 1925 with approximately 19 of these being heavy vehicles up to 27.5 meters in length, or if you prefer- 90 feet.

This length is very hard to overtake given all the sharp bends and the dearth of passing lanes.

If you take the ‘R’ out of dearth (which means lack and insufficiency) you suddenly get the word ‘death’ and everybody knows what that means.

Now the Minister’s interpretation of what Alkina Holdings Pty Ltd intends to deliver trash with is within another 88 traffic movements per day using Great Southern Highway. This includes Saturdays.

On Sunday’s they will wash the trash dregs and stench out of the road trains to start another working week of 528 return trips, 288 by road train

Forty-eight Pocket Road Trains up to 27.5 metres (again 90 feet) will be part of the daily movements to and from Allawuna. This will increase heavy traffic movements, per day, from 19 to 67, a 3.5 times greater volume.

What you may have to pass as you frantically search for the overtaking lane is up to 1.3 kilometres, or over three-quarters of a mile of snail paced road-trains out and about on their daily jaunt.

The increase in weight to be borne by the bitumen will be up to an addition 1500 tonnes per day, if the road trains return empty.

This could effectively double the weight borne by the road surface.

If you believe that the Minister for Transport, the Department of Transport and Main Roads have done any load bearing capacity tests anywhere on Great Southern Highway, as a duty of care, regarding potential road surface damage and related traffic safety issues, you can probably guess again.

It is highly doubtful if one square millimetre of the 40 kilometres of roadway to be used has been investigated regarding surface impacts that could be caused by Alkina traffic.  

Robin Chapple has kindly asked if there are any more questions anyone would like to direct to any Ministers concerned, regarding your concerns.

That is entirely up to you. If you still think it is an ongoing, unresolved issue-his contact numbers are on Google!

David Taylor.