Southern Downs: To B Double or Not to B Double

Abstract

Road infrastructure is a critical link to provide and grow sustainability for a rural inland Council. So how does a Council go about ensuring an aged road network will meet the current and future needs? It does so by inspired leadership and engaging with the community and other government instrumentalities. Using this feedback, Council can build the strategic program of works required to address the priorities. Businesses need every advantage in being profitable and freight cost is a large component. To shift 1000t would take a semi 42 trips whereas a standard B Double would do it 28 trips. Southern Downs Regional Council (SDRC) knows that sustainability is about growth both in new business, enhancing current businesses, and attracting a population to support this. An aged rail network exists and while Council has made efforts to connect to the proposed inland rail network, it is more likely than in the short to medium term the transport of goods will be by road. The advent of the Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport has and will make further inroads to local and Asian markets by the use of air freight. Our Mayor Tracey Dobie decided the time was ripe to engage with companies and freighters to flesh out where SDRC needed to strategically focus within its road network. In this workshop she said “As a Council we are conscious that our horticultural, agricultural and livestock industries are growing and that greater and more frequent access will be required.” This paper provides a synopsis of the presentations and discusses the outcomes of a Heavy Vehicle Workshop that was conducted in Warwick on the 15 February 2017. The format of the workshop was: Invite and engage with a wide variety of businesses and freighters. Introduce them to the National Heavy Vehicle Regulators (NHVR). Explain what NHVR is and what they do. Explain the assessment process for determining B Double and Road Train Routes. Explain what the engineering assessment role of SDRC and Transport and Main Roads (TMR) Examining a case study of where TMR, SDRC, and the applicant worked together. Explain the difference between “As of Right” and “Permitted” routes and the purposes of conditioning these routes. Finally a “question and answer” session followed by a workshop to determine what routes need to be considered for upgrading to suit the growing economy of SDRC.

The day was very successful in that:  It provided the stakeholders the opportunity to communicate with the regulators face to face.  A chance to learn about the NHVR system and see how it connected with their business.  A chance to engage with peers facing similar challenges.  To provide the mayor, councillors, and SDRC staff an opportunity to discuss sustainability issues in getting produce from the “last mile” to its destination.  An opportunity for Council to demonstrate its leadership in forging a strategic direction for Southern Downs to support economic growth.