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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 184 asked in the Legislative Council on 28 March 2018 by Hon Colin De Grussa

Parliament: 40 Session: 1


HEAVY VEHICLE PILOT LICENCE EXEMPTIONS
      184. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the minister representing the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the minister's ''Heavy Vehicle Agricultural Pilot Authorisation 2017'', published in the Government Gazette on 24 November 2017.
      (1) Is the minister aware that the six-metre width constraint placed on the heavy vehicle pilot licence exemption is adversely impacting farmers moving their standard agricultural machinery and equipment?
      (2) Under the existing regulation, is licensed agricultural machinery, such as a tractor, permitted to tow agricultural equipment or implements on roads?
      (3) Will the minister consider increasing the maximum allowable width of equipment covered by the heavy vehicle pilot licence exemption to meet industry requirements?
      (4) Can the minister please explain the regulatory and licensing costs that the current regulations will have on farmers, machinery dealers and earthmoving businesses?
Hon STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.
      (1) The six-metre width constraint for oversize agricultural equipment moved under the Heavy Vehicle Agricultural Pilot Authorisation 2017 has been applied for road safety purposes. All other non-agricultural oversize vehicles require two licensed pilots and a traffic escort warden when the width of a vehicle exceeds 5.5 metres. The agricultural sector has been afforded concessions in recognition of movements for short distances on local roads, and they require only two agricultural pilots to move oversize equipment up to six metres in width. Public farm access roads, where agricultural vehicles are operated generally, do not have bitumen seal of more than six metres wide and gravel shoulders of more than one metre wide. As such, an oversize agricultural vehicle exceeding six metres in width would pose a significant safety risk to other road users if other traffic is not appropriately managed by licensed pilots and traffic escort wardens as required.
      (2) No. Tractors range in size, power and weight and as such a blanket approval for tractors to tow equipment is not feasible. The Department of Transport is working with Western Australian farmers through the Agricultural Vehicles Advisory Committee to identify suitable classifications of agricultural machinery to ensure they can safely traverse bridges et cetera.
      (3) Oversize agricultural vehicles exceeding six metres in width can move on public roads provided there is a combination of licensed pilots and traffic escort wardens to ensure the safety of other roads users.
      (4) Regulatory and licensing costs have not changed with the introduction of the Heavy Vehicle Agricultural Pilot Authorisation 2017.