Other Initiatives

East-west freight link

• The Department has completed work on assessing the demand for an east-west freight route linking Brookton Highway, Albany Highway and South West Highway. A range of road and rail options to improve transport efficiency to the major freight destinations, especially the Outer Harbour, were examined. The assessment of rail opportunities concluded that the construction of an intermodal facility near Jarrahdale, while feasible, would not be commercially viable. A number of road improvements are currently being considered by the Minister.

• A report (Perth Metropolitan Grade Separation Warrants Analysis) has been completed by Main Roads WA and the findings and outcomes of the assessment will provide a guide to the future priority for the development of grade separated intersections on the existing designated freight network.

Metropolitan Strategic Freight Network – Planning Policy

The Department is working with key stakeholders to finalise a Statement of Planning Policy for the Metropolitan Strategic Freight Network. The purpose of this work is to:

• Facilitate the development and operation of an efficient freight network;

• Protect the designated freight network from avoidable encroachment by incompatible development; and

• Minimise adverse environmental and social impacts associated with the handling and movement of freight on sensitive developments, such as housing.

Stock Road

• Gazettal of a Planning Control Area (PCA) to protect land for future upgrading of Stock Road between South Street and Leach Highway has been approved. This is consistent with the Metro Freight Network Review recommendation to upgrade the Stock Road / Leach Highway / High Street / Stirling Highway route to the Inner Harbour in lieu of Roe Highway Stage 8 and the Fremantle Eastern Bypass. The PCA will assist with responses to planning enquiries and development applications.

• Concurrent with the Stock Road Planning Control Area, and following completion of the Local Impacts Committee work, a detailed study of Stock Road upgrading requirements between South Street and Leach Highway is to be undertaken. The study will examine a range of upgrading options and will include full community consultation with input from Melville and Fremantle city councils. Subject to the outcome of this study, the Metropolitan Region Scheme will be amended to incorporate the finally agreed reservation requirements.

Limited banning of articulated heavy vehicles

In February 2005, the Government announced an initiative to remove articulated heavy vehicles from Leach Highway between Kwinana Freeway and Albany Highway and from South Street between the Kwinana Freeway and Roe Highway by the end of 2006.

Roe Highway Stage 7, South Street to Kwinana Freeway, will be completed by March 2006. This will allow Roe Highway to provide an alternative route to Leach Highway for heavy vehicles travelling between the Kewdale/Welshpool industrial area and Kwinana Freeway. By early 2007, the Southern Suburbs Railway will also be complete. This will reduce the number of cars travelling on the Kwinana Freeway and provide additional capacity to accommodate the trucks that will be diverted on to Roe Highway and subsequently need to travel on Kwinana Freeway.

These improvements mean that, by 2007, Roe Highway and Kwinana Freeway will provide a viable alternative route to Leach Highway for heavy vehicles travelling from Kewdale and Welshpool to the Kwinana Freeway and should see the volume of articulated trucks currently using sections of South Street, Leach Highway and associated roads reduced.

Review of priority improvement projects

The truck ban initiative will have impacts on the surrounding road network that were not considered during the Local Impacts Committee consultation period. As a consequence, Main Roads WA and the Local Impacts Committee are currently reviewing the need to proceed with previously recommended priority improvement projects to address the Metro Freight Network Review outcomes.

The end result of this process might be a revision of the list of priority improvement projects previously agreed to. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure will ensure that the measures adopted to protect local communities from the impact of freight and general traffic will be undertaken as a priority by the relevant agencies involved, within funding constraints. However, it will not be possible to remove all trucks from roads serving a broader role of providing access for regional traffic, such as Leach Highway west of Kwinana Freeway, because there is a lack of alternative viable routes for such traffic, and so it is appropriate that trucks continue to use these roads.

Grade separation priorities

This project has been completed as follows: