New and improved heavy vehicle rest areas and facilities are expected to be established on WA's rural roads in the near future.
Over the past two years, the Livestock and Rural Transport Association of WA (LRTAWA) has worked with Main Roads, Western Roads Federation and the Transporter Workers Union to identify locations for the upgraded sites.
In that time, the Federal and WA governments granted more than $140 million funding for these projects, of which a significant amount is still to be allocated.
It should be noted that not all the Federal allocation is destined for WA.
Some of the sites the group have successfully advocated for include toilets at the Bunbury Road Train Assembly area and the Lady Loch Road RTTA in Coolgardie, a new safety bay on Shark Lake Road, Esperance, a new safety bay and facilities near the Albany Ring Road, expansion of the Northam RTAA, toilets at Mayanup and a new heavy vehicle parking bay on Elverdton Road, Ravensthorpe.
The process for identifying further sites is ongoing.
LRTAWA outgoing president David Fyfe said while a significant portion of funds had been spent in the north, WA's south would also be included.
"We will soon start to see improvement, particularly where toilets and sometimes showers are a concern, and needed for both men and women in our industry," Mr Fyfe said.
"Those who abuse our existing facilities, have made our job of advocating for these improvements much harder
"However, it is a minority in the industry and I hope they don't ruin it."
Mr Fyfe said the group hoped to introduce user paid and controlled access to the new facilities to help overcome some of the issues.
He said updated and clean facilities could continue to attract more people into the industry.
