Agricultural Road Transport

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton) (14:42): My question is to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure. Can the minister update the house on the progress of the 90-day project between the government and the agricultural sector regarding agricultural transport?

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister Assisting the Minister for Planning, Minister Assisting the Minister for Housing and Urban Development) (14:43): I thank the member for Colton for his question and interest in this area. As members would be aware, the state government, in partnership with Primary Producers SA, conducted a 90-day project to review road transport for the agricultural sector. In March this year, the project report was released identifying a large number of issues to be investigated and resolved across the state.

Since March, the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, Primary Industries and Regions SA and Primary Producers SA have been working through the recommendations announced in this report, titled 'A modern transport system for agriculture'. The government is grateful for the dedication and hard work of the former premier, the Hon. Rob Kerin, for leading this work.

I am pleased to advise the house that, of the 184 issues that were raised as part of the project, 47 of these matters have already been resolved. I have already advised the house of the following productivity initiatives that have been implemented:

Approval for BAB quad and ABB quad road train access to the 53.5-metre road train network between the Northern Territory border and Port Augusta.

Amending the existing South Australian tri-axle dolly policy to be nationally consistent.

Increasing from 100 kilometres to 160 kilometres the travel radius beyond which a primary producer must carry and fill out a heavy vehicle fatigue work diary. As announced in March, we are also progressing B-double and road train access to the Jamestown saleyards, extending the maximum permitted length of a road train prime mover when operating as a semitrailer from 19 metres to 20 metres, and we have updated the road access on Carslake Road at Dublin from general mass limit vehicles to higher mass limit vehicles.

I am pleased to announce today to the house that approval has been granted for higher mass limit vehicles to access 18 Viterra sites across South Australia. These include Viterra sites in:

Meribah, Wunkar and Lameroo in the member for Chaffey's electorate;

Two Wells in the member for Goyder's electorate;

Orroroo, Yongala, Kapunda and Jamestown in the member for Stuart's electorate;

Monarto South in the member for Kavel's electorate;

Kimba in the member for Giles' electorate;

Saddleworth/Auburn and Gladstone in the member for Frome's electorate; and

Poochera and Yeelanna in the member for Flinders' electorate.

Approving these vehicles means heavier loads can enter these sites, meaning more grain can be delivered per load, increasing productivity and hopefully driving down transport costs to benefit farmers in the future. The flow-on effects will have a huge impact across the supply chain, which is good news for South Australia's regional growth and economic development.

I would again like to take this opportunity to thank the contribution of Primary Producers SA and its chair, the Hon. Rob Kerin. Mr Kerin has been a crucial part of getting a number of these important measures completed through this 90-day project and implemented so quickly. I have also appreciated the support from a number of MPs opposite, as well as the Minister for Regional Development and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries for helping drive these initiatives. The government is committed to continuing to resolve the issues raised as part of the report, and I look forward to making further announcements to the house as this work progresses.