Council is working towards the development of a Heavy Vehicle Access Strategy, to guide the management of heavy vehicle access to Council’s road network.

The aims of the strategy are to:

1. Manage heavy vehicle access to Council’s road network.
2. Set out a program of works to address the key issues identified by HDS Australia (a civil engineering consultancy practice) on Council’s highest trafficked roads.

 

Background

The Yorke Peninsula Council has the largest unsealed road network of any council within South Australia, at approximately 3,300km.

In addition, Council has approximately 530km of sealed roads, including approximately 330km of sealed rural roads.

Council’s unsealed road network is primarily used by those in the agricultural industry, to facilitate the movement of livestock and grain off farm, as well as the movement of agricultural equipment (field bins, headers, etc.) between paddocks.

Council’s road network is currently a gazetted 26m B Double Commodity route at General Mass Limit (GML). In addition, 26m B Doubles carrying a commodity and operating at Higher Mass Limit (HML) are able to access Council’s road network using the pre-approval provided by Council to the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) in April 2016.

Both the gazettal and pre-approval allow the operators of 26m B Doubles carrying a commodity to access Council’s road network without a permit, provided the vehicle meets the relevant criteria and conditions of the gazettal or pre-approval.

Access to Council’s road network by 30m Road Trains is provided via permits issued through the NHVR.

In 2018, Council engaged HDS Australia to undertake an investigation into the safety aspects of B Double routes within the Council area.

The aim of the Network Level Heavy Vehicle Route Assessment was to determine the overall risk of each road segment and categorise the identified risk as Low (P4), Moderate (P3), High (P2) or Very High (P1), in accordance with accepted heavy vehicle route assessment criteria.

This initial investigation focussed on Council’s rural sealed roads and High Use sheeted roads, which make up approximately 1,000km of Council’s road network. HDS Australia provided a report and presentation to Council in July 2019.

In May 2022, HDS Australia provided a report and presentation to Council for the remainder of the unsealed road network.

The reports provided by HDS Australia indicate a significant number of P1 ($52 million) and P2 ($69 million) issues.

HDS Australia see the P1 issues as “very high risk required to be treated prior to the designated route being gazetted”. The inference being that they should not be gazetted now.

As Council’s road network is currently a gazetted 26m B Double Commodity route at GML, and Council has provided pre-approval for 26m B Doubles carrying a commodity and operating at HML, Council must take steps to address the P1 and P2 issues identified by HDS Australia.

 

Heavy Vehicle Access Strategy Survey

The Heavy Vehicle Access Strategy Survey seeks to gauge the opinions of those who primarily use Council’s unsealed roads (primary producers and transport operators) on the proposed Heavy Vehicle Access Strategy, as well as the measures proposed to address the P1 and P2 issues identified by HDS Australia.

Your response to this survey will help to shape the development of the Heavy Vehicle Access Strategy, and assist Council in developing the program of works to address the P1 and P2 issues identified on Council’s highest trafficked roads.

Community Survey – Heavy Vehicle Access Strategy

The survey will close at COB on Friday 28 October 2022.

Information Session

As part of the development of the Heavy Vehicle Access Strategy, Council is holding two information sessions, one in Yorketown and one in Maitland.

The details of these sessions are:

Yorketown

Date:      Tuesday 18 October 2022

Time:     3.00pm to 4.00pm

Venue:   Yorketown Town Hall, 15 Edithburgh Road, Yorketown

Maitland

Please note: the Heavy Vehicle Access Strategy Information Session held at Maitland has changed venue and will be held at the Yorke Peninsula Council Office – 8 Elizabeth Street, Maitland.

Date:      Wednesday 19 October 2022

Time:     3.00pm to 4.00pm

Venue:   Yorke Peninsula Council Office, 8 Elizabeth Street, Maitland

To register your attendance at either of these sessions, please call Executive Assistant to the Director of Assets & Infrastructure Taylor Simunsen on 8832 0000.

 

Further Information and Resources

Final Report – Network Level Heavy Vehicle Route Assessment and Risk Analysis – Phase 1 – HDS Australia

Presentation – Elected Members Information and Briefing Session – Network Level HVRA and Risk Analysis – Summary of Findings – Phase 1 – HDS Australia – 24 July 2019

Final Report – Network Level Heavy Vehicle Route Assessment and Risk Analysis – Phase 2 – HDS Australia

Presentation – Elected Members Information and Briefing Session – Network Level HVRA and Risk Analysis – Summary of Findings – Phase 2 – HDS Australia – 25 May 2022

Presentation – Elected Members Information and Briefing Session – HV Route Assessment Follow Up – Andre Kompler – 25 May 2022

Ordinary Council Meeting – 8 June 2022 – 24.1 Network Level Heavy Vehicle Route Assessment and Risk Analysis

Notes – Roads Working Party Meeting – 26 July 2022

Heavy Vehicle Access Map