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Question and Answer Tracking Details

2067 - Roads, Maritime and Freight - LOCKED OFF PARKING AREAS

Mookhey, Daniel to the Minister for Primary Industries, Minister for Regional Water, Minister for Trade and Industry representing the Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight
  1. Approximately 22 months ago did Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) install no-standing signs in a parking area on the F6 motorway southbound near Waterfall?
  2. Approximately 16 months ago did RMS gated and lock off two parking areas, one northbound near the former toll gates and the other north of Heathcote?
  3. Prior to these actions by RMS did truck drivers use these places as rest areas?
  4. Did RMS give any consideration to the safety implications of removing these rest areas prior to taking these actions?
  5. What steps did the Minister take to ensure that truck drivers heading south of Sydney are not forced to drive up to 100km before reaching a safe rest area (at the Mount Ousley rest stop)?
Answer -

I am advised:

  1. Yes. This is a heavy vehicle inspection area and not a designated rest area.
  2. The area near the former toll gates was a temporary rest area while the upgrade to Mount Ousley's heavy vehicle rest area was in progress. This was closed off when the Mount Ousley heavy vehicle rest area was opened in May 2017.
  3. The area on the F6 motorway southbound near Waterfall, and the Heathcote enforcement bay have been used as informal rest areas.
  4. Roads and Maritime provides an extensive network of rest areas directly along NSW highways for drivers to manage their fatigue on long distance journeys and on higher speed roads.
    Roads and Maritime is developing the Rest Stop Framework which is a strategy to provide and prioritise rest areas in strategic locations to better support fatigue management.
  5. The distance between Heathcote, an urbanised area on the Sydney network, and the Mount Ousley rest stop is approximately 40km. The Roads and Maritime Services website provides an interactive map where drivers can locate rest areas and plan their trip.

Question asked on 6 March 2018 (session 56-1) and published in Questions & Answers Paper No. 141
Answer received on 10 April 2018 and published in Questions & Answers Paper No. 147