Leach Highway freight truck ban begins October 1

19/01/07
Heavy freight trucks will be banned from Leach Highway, between Albany Highway and Kwinana Freeway from October 1.
Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan said the Government made it clear that the ban would follow the completion of Roe Highway Stage Seven and the Perth-Mandurah Railway.
The ban would cover all large vehicles that require Main Roads permits as well as any semi-trailers over 12.5m long.
Arrangements would be made for heavy vehicles requiring access to the prohibited sections of Leach Highway and South Street for local transport needs.
"Claims in The West Australian that the requirement for the railway to be completed came after the election, are just another example of that paper's predeliction for fiction," Ms MacTiernan said.
"The evidence to the contrary is in black and white, in the February 22, 2005 media announcement of the ban, in the accompanying fact sheet, on the pre-election policy website and on the front page of the Canning Community Times on the same day.
"In a radio interview with Paul Murray, now a 'West' columnist, on the day of the announcement, I made it clear that we will do this only after the rail starts, because that will reduce freeway congestion. (Extract from transcript is attached below.)
"We have completed the link to the freeway, but we need the railway to be operating before we require truck operators to use the new route to Fremantle Port.
"The logic of our plan was always that the railway would take thousands of cars off the freeway, creating the capacity for the diverted freight traffic.
"While the completion of the railway has been delayed, our commitment to remove heavy freight from this part of Leach Highway has not wavered."
From October 1, permits for restricted access vehicles such as B-Doubles will be cancelled by Main Roads and access by semi-trailers longer than 12.5m in length will be restricted by 'No Truck' signs in accordance with the Road Traffic Code.
"The ban will be enforced by Main Roads Heavy Vehicle Compliance Transport Inspectors and WA Police," the Minister said.
"Penalties such as demerit points and fines will apply for vehicles found to be operating on these sections of road illegally."

Minister's office - 9213 6400
Extract of transcript from 6PR MORNINGS (MURRAY), February 22nd, 2005, 11.36am
ALANNAH MACTIERNAN
No, we're trying to solve a problem, Paul. This is a development of our six-point plan, we've always said that the completion of Roe Highway to the Kwinana Freeway is the important part of our strategy to manage. to manage the freight into Fremantle. And indeed, we are now saying well we believe that once we've got this infrastructure in place and a series of other infrastructure, it includes the Mandurah rail line, because obviously once we've got the Mandurah rail line in place, we can see a real reduction on congestion on Kwinana Freeway.
So our timing for this particular proposal is that it kicks in at the end of 2006 when we've got all the infrastructure in place, where we've got Roe Highway coming through to Kwinana Freeway, where we've got the southern suburbs rail completed, taking congestion off, and where we've got things like the Fremantle freight link project, which is currently being built, we're building a new rail line into the Fremantle Port and a new intersection at Leach and Orrong Roads.

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