2012 ANNUAL REPORT

Maintenance is a key area of focus in the management of high volume freight areas of the rural road network. Over the last 12 months, we have investigated initiatives to secure additional funding to ensure roads with significant increases in heavy vehicle traffic are adequately maintained.

For a number of years, concessional loading has been in operation in Western Australia allowing trucks to operate at increased axle loads enabling up to 25% more product to be moved on the road network, using fewer trucks. However, heavier trucks cause significantly more wear and tear to the road network. To address this issue, Main Roads has negotiated with industry to secure contributions towards ongoing road maintenance costs.

In November 2011, we implemented the Road Maintenance Contribution Policy to secure contributions from mining companies that move in excess of 300,000 tonne of product per annum, on the State road network, and are allowed concessional loading. The scheme is expected to generate more than $10 million per annum, even at a modest charge of 0.4 cents per tonne per kilometre, as vast quantities and distances are involved. Funds will be collected on a quarterly basis and utilised on improving safety along road networks.

Another milestone in securing additional maintenance funds was achieved when we entered a formal agreement with Chevron resulting in a contribution of $16 million towards improvements on Onslow Road. Currently the main arterial and freight transport route between the Onslow town site and North West Coastal Highway, Onslow Road was built as a service to the community but not designed to cater for resource industry expansion, in particular the Wheatstone and Macedon gas hub developments. It is anticipated that at the peak of construction for these projects there will be excess of 10,000 road train movements per month along Onslow Road.

Improvements completed in April 2012 saw the sealing of existing shoulders, construction of four new overtaking lanes and the installation of line marking. A more extensive upgrade of Onslow Road will be required when the Macedon and Wheatstone projects are substantially completed. As part of a State Agreement, a further $67 million has been secured from Chevron, enabling the existing pavement to be widened, increasing the total seal width to nine metres. It is hoped that this type of arrangement will provide a blueprint for other key resource developments planned across the State.