WHEATBELT Tier 3 lines need to be retained and upgraded.
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That's the message a group of Wheatbelt shire and WAFarmer zone representatives sent at a shire alliance meeting held in Quairading on Monday.
The Strategic Grain Network Committee's (SGNC) report came under fire as members from the shires of Beverley, Bruce Rock, Corrigin, Cunderdin, Kondinin, Kulin, Mukinbudin, Narembeen, Nungarin, Quairading, Trayning and York agreed on a list of suggested commitments to be made by the State Government before closing Tier 3 lines.
Issues of road safety, the costs of upgrades and ongoing maintenance and their effects on Local Government were also high on the group's agenda.
WAFarmers member and Narembeen grower, Bill Cowan, said the most important thing to come from the meeting was the commitment shown from local shire members and their willingness to present a united front on the issue.
He said it was the first time a group of committed people from the "black hole" area unrecognised in the SGNC report, had grouped together to document their concerns and demands.
The group proposed that the closure of Tier 3 lines not take place until all roads had been upgraded and the Transitional Assistance Package (TAP) remained in place until the subsequent upgrades had been completed.
The group also insisted the true cost of Local Government road upgrades and a list of State roads omitted from the SGNC report, also in need of upgrade, be presented to the State Government for its consideration.
Also outlined were the potential and efficiencies of Tier 3 lines and the group proposed that those attributes be reconsidered in view of the CBH Group's recent decision to purchase trains and operate for WA growers.
High on the agenda was also the group's desire to see a dedicated comparative road safety analysis of the effect of Tier 3 closures and the transfer of grain freight onto Wheatlbelt roads.
They proposed the study be carried out by the State Government.
The meeting also called for a specific environmental impact study to look at the effect of the large number of road trains required to transport grain in place of Tier 3 rail.
Finally, the group called for the State Government and Premier, Colin Barnett, Transport Minister, Troy Buswell, and Minister for Regional Development, Brendon Grylls, be held responsible for all increased road trauma as a result of the withdrawal of Tier 3 lines.
"I think the CBH and Watco partnership will be very significant in all this," Mr Cowan said.
Further details in next week's edition of Farm Weekly.
