An estimated 30,000 truck movements will be needed just to clear last years grain harvest into Kwinana. A transport task performed for almost 100 years by rail, now to be unleashed onto the public roads of the Wheatbelt, Midland and Southern metropolitan areas, adding to already heavy traffic congestion and all the extra road trauma risks flowing from such increases in volume.

Come October when this years grain harvest begins its journey to export again we will see even larger increase in trucking movement. If the expected bumper crop eventuates the task could exceed all previous records, and that tonnage is destined to share Western Australian roads with mums and dads commuting to work, taking kids to school and the like. Many country roads already in poor condition will be punished by such damaging heavy axle loads and traffic volumes. Local shires and there shrinking budgets will be furthered burdened with increased costs for road maintenance on these routes. This is an important consideration when the supposed financial savings from rail line closures simply are shifted costs over to local authorities .

Then there is the millions of litres of diesel that is consumed trucking by road instead of exploiting the energy efficiencies afforded by rail. There is enough pressure on farmgate costs for farmers, rail transport after initial investment has lower freight costs and a small carbon footprint in comparison, which must be considered if our Nation is to meet international greenhouse gas emission targets.

The State Government needs to look at the Big Picture, we call on them to provide leadership and capital investment to keep the T3 rail lines open