State, territory and local governments are now, and have been for a number of months, able to apply for funding for new and upgraded heavy vehicle rest areas under the federal government’s Heavy Vehicle Rest Areas (HVRA) initiative.
The federal government has allocated $140m over the next 10 years for the construction or upgrading of heavy vehicle rest areas. To ensure that truck drivers (and taxpayers) get the best result from this process, the federal government has created the Heavy Vehicle Steering Committee.
Ultimately, this step in the right direction is a sign that the government is serious about addressing driver fatigue and improving working conditions for long distance and regional truck operators.
By now, most Australians, not just truck drivers, would know how dangerous driver fatigue is – it’s not too much of a stretch to say rest areas could literally save lives.
Once again Senator Glenn Sterle, a champion of the transport industry, has led the way in establishing and chairing the Committee to help advise the government of locations, as well as establishing guidelines and dedicated criteria for the rest areas.
The Committee consists of four industry representatives and five drivers, including myself. The chance to contribute to anything that makes our roads safer for truck drivers, and also members of the public that share the roads with us, is something I don’t take lightly, and, like the rest of the committee, I’m eager to make contributions that help improve safety for all road users.
The way the Committee works is it assesses applications from different applicants on the sites which would be most suitable for the creation of a rest area, or for existing rest area sites that require an upgrade, whether it be to increase capacity or to install some level of facilities or both.
This allows project proposals from state, territory and local governments to be assessed against the criteria to ensure the most worthwhile and needed projects are funded.
While we had initially hoped for greater interest from local and state governments, the uptake has been a little slow thus far. However, there seems to be a positive shift in recent times, with local governments becoming more aware of the importance for rest areas.
Applications for new sites or upgrades are on the rise. Perhaps drivers and operators can take the initiative to engage with local shire councils they travel to or through, encouraging them to submit applications for the inclusion of much-needed rest areas/upgrades in that area.
In the first round of project applications, we saw the approval for the upgrade of the rest area facility at the eastern approach to Roma on the Warrego Highway in Queensland, in Bridgewater in Tasmania, Salt Creek in South Australia and the sealing of 35 truck informal rest areas and green reflectors installed on four highways within the Gippsland in Victoria. These projects feature combined funding with federal government and local or state governments.
In the second round of applications, new projects have been approved for the Newell Highway in NSW, the Sturt Highway in NSW, Barrier Highway in South Australia and in Pingelly in Western Australia. Another set of applications for projects is currently under review.
From my personal experience on the road, there are ample opportunities for the establishment or enhancement of rest areas, such as the location at Goolgowi in New South Wales situated at the intersection of the Kidman Way and the Midwestern Highway or numerous spots between Port Augusta and Ceduna.
The Committee is giving its best to suggest and advise in the design and development of rest areas. These projects could include dedicated slip and turning lanes, upgraded signage, shelters, all weather pavements, perimeter lighting and, in some cases, amenities.
There are a few things that could be out of our control – for instance, the issue of installing showers at some locations is not always feasible and the lack of clean water and the logistics of servicing in some remote regions also comes into play.
Some areas could possibly be separated for shared use with other travellers using our roads that also need to be well rested and alert in their travels. There are numerous ideas and proposals being considered.
Rest areas are an essential component of the transport industry. They play a crucial role in ensuring all drivers can be well rested if they require, which is necessary for the safe functioning of the industry.
I am grateful for the dedication of our senator and all the members of the committee and am certain our combined efforts will have a lasting positive effect for generations of truck drivers and other road users in the future.
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Frank Black has been a long distance owner-driver for more than 30 years. He is a former long-term owner-driver representative on the ATA Council.