Eyes on the road
DAMIAN CALLACHOR
DIRECTOR
CHAMBER OF MINERALS AND ENERGY OF WA
At the same time, government commenced a process of creating
a centralised and coordinated point of contact or ‘one-stop shop’ to
process applications and permits for OSOM movements in order to
streamline the application process and remove unnecessary delays.
CME applauds this move because it will deliver vital efficiency
and clarity of process for industry.
The new integrated permit approach, as well as appointment
of extra pilots to help clear the backlog, is already delivering
noticeable service improvements. Industry reports the permit wait
time is now two to three days.
Industry also welcomes Main Roads’ introduction of night
convoy moves of big loads out of Port Hedland port to mine sites.
This initiative is helping get modules to site on time and reducing
disruptions to other road users.
Industry is keen to see road infrastructure improvements,
such as undergrounding of further ‘problem’ power lines, in the
metropolitan area as well as Great Eastern Highway, and for
government to streamline the way these loads are managed to
reduce delays.
Not only will industry benefit but so too the driving public who
share the roads with these large items.
Ensuring WA’s road network is capable of handling such loads
will lead to higher productivity and greater local participation in
the resources sector.
If local fabrication yards can deliver their products by road
direct to project sites, they have an important competitive
advantage over products sourced overseas and delivered to ports
then trucked to site.
CME looks forward to working with the state government
to deliver further improvements that will prevent transport
and infrastructure delays and support our state’s continued
economic growth.
Earlier this year resource companies were experiencing
increasingly long delays for permits to move large pieces
of equipment and construction modules to site but effective
collaboration between industry, government and Main Roads is
starting to deliver positive results.
As those in the industry know, trucks with loads that exceed
normal vehicle specifications need a permit to travel, a police
escort, a pilot and often, obstacles like power lines to be lifted.
Authority for such movements was somewhat ad-hoc with transport
operators required to liaise with Main Roads for the overarching
permit, WA Police to secure escort services and Western Power or
Horizon Power to arrange power lines to be lifted.
Main Roads were receiving around 90 permit applications per
day for high wide load movements and the Chamber of Minerals
and Energy (CME) understood them to be fully booked four months
out from a movement.
The volume of Oversize and Over-Mass (OSOM) movements on
WA roads will continue over the next year as resources construction
activity peaks, so it was critical that these issues be sorted out.
CME welcomed the announcement by the state government to
underground eight power lines along the Great Northern Highway
that were regularly lifted to clear the way for these transport
movements and relieve the transport industry of significant
recurrent costs.
Over-size mining dump truck on float trailer ready for transportation
and hands upon the wheel
MINESITE 2012
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