Farmers warn of major disruption as bridges across the South West limited to 11 tonnes

Murray-Wellington MLA David Bolt has described the new 11-tonne load limits on regional bridges to be “shaping up as a perfect storm” in a time of escalating fuel costs and supply uncertainty.

Twenty-six bridges in the local governments of Busselton, Capel, Harvey, Waroona, Murray and Dardanup will have their load limits reduced to manage stress on the structures, with changes expected to be in place for an extended period, or indefinitely, from May.

Mr Bolt said the new limits were “concerning”, with the impacts set to hit those in Harvey and Waroona.

“For example, in Waroona, Dorsett Road is now limited to 11 tonnes and Somers Road is proposed to be reduced to 15 tonnes, even though both roads support farming, industry and freight,” he said.

“In Harvey, Riverdale Road is also limited to 11 tonnes.

“That means much longer detours, higher fuel and transport costs, delays in getting goods to market, and more pressure on local roads that were never built for heavy traffic.”

After speaking to farmers, heavy haulage contractors, livestock transport companies and local government officials across Harvey, Waroona and Murray, Mr Bolt said the feedback had been consistent.

“People are very frustrated that this has been allowed to reach this point,” he said.

“They are concerned about the extra cost and disruption caused by detours, and there is real worry about the impact on emergency access, freight movement, and the day-to-day operation of local businesses and primary producers.”

Mr Bolt said the changes were not simply a “transport inconvenience”, but an economic and community issue, and is calling for urgent action to be taken.

“We need an urgent assessment of the economic impact of these bridge restrictions on our local communities and businesses, a clear replacement and remediation plan, and proper State Government funding in the budget to deal with the problem before it gets worse,” he said.

Farmers and transport operators in the South West raised the alarm last week, warning the restrictions could disrupt supply chains and threaten daily operations.

Speaking to the South Western Times, Tutunup dairy farmer Oscar Negus said he wasn’t notified of the change, despite his farm being located on a dead-end road that requires crossing one of the restricted bridges.

“We send out 25,000 to 30,000 litres of milk every day, which has to find its way to the city,” he said.

“Fertiliser also has to come in, hay has to come in . . . so it’s an issue for looking after cattle . . . we can’t go over the bridge to feed the cattle.

“We’re not the only ones, there’s lots of other dairy farmers in the Busselton area, beef farmers as well, veggie growers and orchardists . . . when you have this many bridges over drains, you can’t just suddenly bring them down to 11 tonnes.”

Transport business K.D. Power & Co owner Darren Power said the restrictions would disrupt key freight routes between farms and suppliers, forcing longer detours.

“It’s disappointing that they’ve implemented these changes so quickly without offering a solution or without any sort of consultation with the people that are going to be affected,” he said.

“Fuel is a massive concern for us, at any rate, taking these detours is going to add to that.

A Water Corporation spokesperson said notifications were issued last week to landowners and stakeholders around the changes, which were proposed to take effect in May.

“Feedback gathered to date has helped develop a detailed understanding of the associated impacts, which we acknowledge may affect some landowners,” the spokesperson said.

“We are now working with MRWA (Main Roads WA) and local governments towards a plan to minimise disruption to heavy vehicle operators.

A State Government spokesperson said the Water Corporation routinely liaises with Main Roads to monitor and assess its bridges to ensure they meet safety and compliance standards.