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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-05-25 Daily Xml
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FREIGHT TRANSPORT

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (15:31): This grieve is directed to the Minister for Transport. On 5 May my electorate office received a call from a locally based freight company with the news that two of its trucks had been intercepted on the Sturt Highway at Blanchetown. The drivers were told that they were in breach of registration laws for transporting goods within South Australia using vehicles with federal registration.

The circumstances surrounding the incidents are unique and I believe they warrant consideration by the minister. The freight company was asked to step into a breach left by the sudden closure of another company based in my electorate. It was asked to transport perishable foodstuffs from Adelaide to Renmark with only 45 minutes' notice. Not wishing to let down a major customer and out of an obligation to the people of the Riverland, the company quickly mobilised its fleet to provide the necessary service.

Predominantly, the company's fleet has federal registration and, while it understands the law regarding the transportation of goods within state borders, it had little choice but to use some of these vehicles to provide the necessary service. If it had been given more notice, I am assured that this company—which has been operating for more than 50 years in Australia—would have complied with the law. I am told that, unfortunately, due to cash flow issues and given that the appropriate paperwork takes up to two weeks to process, this was not possible.

I commend the minister's office for doing what they could to resolve the matter as quickly as possible. I also commend the Department for Transport officers involved in the matter. I have been told that they have been most accommodating and understanding towards the freight company in question.

I ask the minister to continue to be as understanding as possible towards the freight company, as I am told that the matter will soon be before the court and the company faces unknown fines. I think it would be appropriate for the company to be shown considerable leniency for acting as best it could in what was, essentially, an emergency situation.

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