Residents in the picturesquely undulating hills of Chittering are reeling at the prospect of losing their homes, business, heritage sites and peaceful country
lifestyle after Main Roads WA has proposed potential new road corridors to be investigated as part of the Great Northern Hwy upgrade/Bindoon Bypass. Three options have been suggested as possible routes for heavy haulage to divert around the actual town of Bindoon and allow extra long trucks (up to 53.5 meters long!) to connect from Wubin to Muchea.
All options would have significant negative impact on local people, their properties and businesses and ultimately the social fabric of the town. The debate about which option takes more toll on the community is an impossible comparison between whose home or business is more important, and since no one in the town or surrounds will actually benefit from having 53.5m trucks sailing through their backyards the residents of the area are questioning the very reasoning behind why such large vehicles must travel through the perpetually hilly and increasingly more densely populated landscape at all.
Clair Medhurst moved to the area ten years ago, in pursuit of a peaceful rural lifestyle. She is now demanding the Minister for Transport, Hon Dean Nalder, show a cost benefit analysis outlining any significant productivity efficiencies that would be achieved by using these trucks – as all research available can see no benefit at all.
“In fact we believe fewer truck drivers will be employed which means less employment, and maintenance costs will increase due to increased stress on vehicles operating in this steep country.” she says. “We are also aware that 53.5m trucks cannot carry significantly more than the next size down.”
It all seems a very dear price to pay for the Bindoon and Chittering communities and most residents seem confused about the motivation behind the Government’s decision to introduce such large trucks into a peri-urban area. To date, requests to the Minister for Transport’s office have been unable to unearth a policy around the economics or safety issues regarding the 53.5m heavy vehicles and Great Northern Highway.
Discussions continue amongst affected residents who are busy collecting data and preparing to approach the Minister for Transport with their concerns.
Option A
Projected cost: $170 Million
This route revisits the Perth-
Darwin Highway option which
was endorsed in the 1990’s.
Affected landowners were told
only recently that this option was
back on the table.
Option B
Projected cost: $150 Million
This wild-card option has
appeared as recently as last
month and has angered many
local residents. Many fear this
option will be chosen because it is
the cheapest.
Option C
Projected cost: $250 Million
This option was suggested in 2009
and the residents affected have
since operated on the assumption
that is was going ahead.
Because this option has to deal
with the steep grade of Bindoon
hill it is estimated to be the most
expensive by $80 million!
