Livestock & Rural Transport Association of Western Australia - Inc

28/04/2026

From the May edition of WA Transport Magazine...

Closing the gap – Why unsafe overtaking in Western Australia requires tougher penalties

Every day we see via dashcams and hear in the media of fatalities in WA involving unsafe overtaking – mainly passenger vehicles trying to pass trucks.

Ben Sutherland, president of the LRTAWA calls on the government to recognise that overtaking is one of the most dangerous driving manoeuvres, yet the penalties fail to reflect the potentially catastrophic consequences

23/04/2026

ROAD CLOSURE:
Balgarup Road between Ashe rd and Wanwindup road.
From 21/4/2026 - 08/05/2026
The section of the road will be closed to traffic between the hours of 0700hrs and 1600hrs.
Detours will be in place

15/04/2026

Unsafe overtaking on rural roads has reached epidemic proportions. The dashcam footage below was taken today on Coalfields Highway. The truck being overtaken was fully loaded with livestock.

14/04/2026

Western Australia must be in control of its own fuel security.

That’s why we’re buying 4 million litres of diesel to create a nation-leading strategic stockpile for Western Australia.

And we have storage capacity to increase this stockpile to 12 million litres.

This 100% State-owned diesel reserve builds on federally mandated stockpiles and is additional to diesel already coming into WA for domestic use.

I understand the anxiety the global fuel shock has caused, and I want to assure Western Australians that our State Government is doing everything it can to address these concerns.

That’s why my Government acted immediately - leading the nation in our response.

The events of the past six weeks have underscored the importance of fuel security, and we’re stepping up to deliver it.

We must never let disrupted global supply chains threaten the livelihoods of our farmers or the safety and wellbeing of our remote communities.

Today’s announcement will make WA the first state in the nation to develop its own strategic diesel stockpile.

It will be used in a targeted way to ease acute shortages - ensuring farmers have the diesel they need to protect WA’s food security, and supporting remote communities that rely on diesel generators.

My Government will continue to do the right thing for WA and make the decisions needed to keep our State strong.

07/04/2026

We’re working very closely with industry and the community to address the impacts of the ongoing fuel shock caused by the conflict in the Middle East.

I know the transport industry is working hard every day to get fuel where it is needed most.

And we’re committed to working with them to ensure Western Australia keeps moving, and our economy remains strong.

Today I can announce some important measures that we’re putting in place to support regional airlines and help freight operators keep WA’s supply chains moving.

Firstly, we’ll be covering the costs of rising airline fuel prices so that regional residents travelling on one of our capped airfares will see no change to their flight costs.

This will provide real cost-of-living support to regional families.

And secondly, we will allow larger road trains to travel closer to Perth along Great Northern Highway - between Muchea and Wubin in the State’s Wheatbelt - as part of a three-month trial.

This is a key freight route connecting Perth to the Wheatbelt, Murchison, Goldfields, Pilbara and Kimberley regions.

By allowing larger road trains along this route, it will:
- Help improve freight efficiency.
- Get more equipment, food and supplies to communities and industries in the north of the State - more quickly.
- And help operators use less fuel through reduced truck movements.

I'm committed to continuing to work with the transport industry to support their operations - and help maintain WA’s supply chain resilience.

07/04/2026

31/03/2026

We’re saddened to share that our valued National Partner, Byrne Trailers experienced a fire at their Wagga Wagga facility on Friday morning.

While the incident caused significant damage to their paint shed, the most important outcome is that all staff and employees were safely evacuated with no injuries - a testament to the team’s preparedness and safety procedures.

As Mick Bray shared, “the evacuation process was carried out precisely and quickly … ensuring everyone moved to safety.”

Despite the setback, it’s encouraging to hear that it is business as usual, with the Byrne team already working alongside industry partners to minimise disruption to customers.

We extend our support to Mick and the entire Byrne Trailers team during this time. The resilience and determination of their team is clear, and we know they’ll continue to play an important role in our industry.

If you’re able to, we encourage our members and industry to support Byrne Trailers where possible 🤝

30/03/2026

Following a meeting of the National Cabinet today, the following was agreed:

• The fuel excise on petrol and diesel will be reduced by 26.3 cents per litre from April 1 until 30 June.
• The Heavy Vehicle Road User Charge (RUC) will reduce to zero for three months.
• The next scheduled increase in the Heavy Vehicle Road User Charge will also be deferred by six months.
• A national fuel security plan was released.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1DCxPahtNk/

27/03/2026

26/03/2026

From the April edition of WA Transport Magazine...

LRTAWA’s Ben Sutherland talks about how ‘trust’ is the real fuel running low in Australia. Fuel shortages create economic disruption. But the real crisis begins when businesses and consumers stop believing what they are told