WIMMERA farmers have welcomed a move to increase truck loads during harvest, but believe more work is still needed to improve freight movements.
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The state government has announced that heavy vehicles will be allowed to transport five per cent more grain this harvest.
Roads and Road Safety Minister Luke Donnellan said the Grain Harvest Management Scheme would allow heavy vehicles, except for road trains, to increase their load when delivering grain to receivers that are also participating in the scheme.
“The change will boost safety and productivity by reducing the number of trips between farms and grain receivers during harvest,” he said.
The scheme will run from October 1 to April 30.
Rupanyup farmer and Grain Producers Australia chairman Andrew Weidemann welcomed the scheme.
“When I was grains president at the Victorian Farmers Federation, we had tried for some years to get a harvest management scheme going in Victoria,” he said,
“I congratulate the government on the initiative.
“This will allow farmers to not under-load their trucks and it will reduce concerns about increased truck movements at harvest.”
However, the scheme will only apply to vehicles built after January 1, 2002. “The need for a registration newer than 2002 is a great concern,” Mr Weidemann said.
“About 40 per cent of farmers would have trucks that are older than 2002 and I don’t understand why a line has been put through that year.
“It’s nonsensical – all trucks, regardless of the year, are registered and roadworthy, so it shouldn’t make a difference.
“I don’t support that part of the scheme.”
Warracknabeal farmer and Victorian Farmers Federation grains group president Ross Johns said the scheme would be unworkable because of the 2002 vehicle restriction.
”Most trucks farmers have would pre-date that time, but they are still roadworthy,” he said.
“The scheme should be across all farm vehicles.
“The state government acknowledges how difficult it is to load trucks accurately, but they have missed the mark in the way this scheme will be applied.
“More work still needs to be done and we need better solutions.”
To carry the extra loads, heavy vehicle operators will need to apply to VicRoads for a label that will be displayed on their windscreen.
Drivers will also need to carry documentation that shows the vehicle’s year of manufacture.
Mr Donnellan said harvest was the busiest time of the year for grain farmers.
“That’s why we’ve introduced this scheme to give the industry a helping hand,” he said.
“This will not only boost safety by giving farmers and drivers more time to move more grain, but boost productivity for an important part of our economy.”
VicRoads will evaluate the Grain Harvest Management Scheme after the first year.