Community meeting in Morawa to express concerns over Morawa-Mingenew Road wear and tear from truck transport

A community meeting calling for road safety improvements in Morawa has highlighted the detrimental impact of truck transport on the Morawa-Mingenew Road. The road joins the two shires, and is frequently used for the transport of iron ore and other resources, with the condition and width of the road sore points for community members. Shire president Karen Chappel, who was in attendance along with about 100 community stakeholders, said increased trucking activity has seen considerable amounts of wear and tear on the road. Main Roads representatives also attended, and Ms Chappel said she was “more than happy with the response today”. “Everyone’s getting a little bit agitated and a little bit nervous because the roads are narrow,” Ms Chappel said, adding she believes rail transport is the solution. “We have a really good rail here, it comes from Perenjori and goes through to Geraldton with a 16-19 tonne pay load.” Terra Mining chief executive Barry Cook said the company was negotiating a deal to use rail to transport ore and reduce road use, “rail was always the intention”. “We have to look at what rail can do for us to make sure that meets our requirements for our long-term movement,” he said. Main Roads representatives Leon Wilson and Louise Adamson said upgrades were dependent on local landholders granting permission to have portions of their property claimed, to widen the road and build emergency shoulders. Grain farmer Darren Yewers told the ABC the previous plan had required him to give up 30 metres of land on either side of the road, but would support efforts to widen the road if he was appropriately compensated. “I’ve just spent a lot of money on fence lines and gateways and stuff like that. That will have to be changed and somebody will have to pay for that,” Mr Yewers said. CEO of Mid West Chamber of Commerce and Industry Joanne Fabling said the road infrastructure between Morawa and Mingenew was an important part of how the region operated. “You have caravans, trucks and school buses. Adding more trucks onto that network is difficult with the state of the road,” she said.