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‘One stop shop’ to slash red tape for truckies

Western Australian transport minister announces streamlined permit application process for heavy haulage industry

April 12, 2012

The Western Australian Government has moved to cut red tape on the heavy haulage industry, announcing a new ‘one stop shop’ permit application process to improve efficiency.

Transport Minister Troy Buswell says a new all-in-one permit application process within the Department of Main Roads will end the need for transport operators to deal with three or four separate agencies to obtain permits for a single shift.

“Feedback from the industry was that red tape was causing significant delays when planning the movement of over-sized loads across the state’s road network,” Buswell says.

“Given the significance of the resources industry to the Western Australian economy, we need to make sure government does what it can to allow the heavy haulage industry to operate as efficiently as possible.

“The creation of the one stop shop for permits will mean that a transport operator will only have to make one application to Main Roads in order to obtain an oversize load Permit, book a police escort and get a referral to Western Power for power line clearance.”

Buswell has also announced a $250,000 investment to move power lines currently above significant freight routes underground. He says the trucking industry complained to government for several years about the cost of having lines temporarily lifted to allow oversized loads to pass underneath.

“Each time the lines are lifted, the industry must pay Western Power or Horizon Power and, with the increase in movements of oversize loads, this cost – which is passed on to customers – is also increasing,” Buswell says.

“To assist the industry the state government, through Main Roads WA, has provided funding to Western Power to underground eight lines which cross Great Northern Highway between Perth and Newman.”

The heavy haulage industry agrees that these eight lines, which have a height clearance of less than 6.5 metres, are problematic for efficient operations.”

The lines to be put underground are situated at Bindoon, Miling, Pithara, Dalwallinu and Wubin. Buswell says the work is expected to be completed by the end of next month and could potentially save operators up to $15,000 per trip.

“Given there were 849 oversize permits issued for loads travelling this route in 2011, the undergrounding of these lines will mean up to 90 percent of these loads will no longer require Western Power supervision,” he says.

Buswell has also tasked Main Roads with identifying other areas where power lines can be put underground to benefit the transport industry.

“I expect that these benefits may mean government can work with the industry to develop a funding mechanism to be used for future similar projects,” he says.

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