Highway a death trap

By Kimberly Grabham

The Sturt Highway has become a death trap. It is a stretch of road that deteriorated in the worst way with 2022 flooding, and a common sight all over the area are road crews repairing roads.

Lives were lost in two horrific truck collisions in the last month, one at the Carrathool turn-off and one at Waddi.

Tragically, a nine-year-old also died on Sturt Highway in Balranald last week when he was hit by a vehicle in the main street.

“The crashes are disturbing,” Member for Murray, Helen Dalton said.

“Three deaths in three weeks are three too many.

“The Sturt Highway was full of potholes this time last year, and there has been a lot of patchwork undertaken.

“But the road isn’t of the standard it was before all of the damage was done. It needs to be built back and built better; it has been a band aid fix so far.

“Produce is only on the increase, and that means more trucks on the roads.

“It is an unfortunate reality that we need to slow down and drive to road conditions until things improve.”

Mrs Dalton is emphatic on the need for change on the Sturt, and change on more than one front.

“Another need in this area is overtaking lanes, and rest areas every 100 kilometres so adequate rests can be taken,” she said.

“The Sturt Highway is amazing, it is a giant stretch of highway that reaches into South Australia, and yet on the New South Wales side, there are so few overtaking lanes.

“The government has put so many rules and restrictions on truck drivers, in a bid for safety, but road conditions are a safety issue that is overlooked.”

Mrs Dalton also addresses the issue of the glaring fact that rural areas get less funds to rectify issues.

“We draw the short straw out here in the government’s financial allocations,” she said.

“It takes over one million dollars to tar one kilometre of road, money does not travel very far.

“The government has sorely fallen behind in maintaining infrastructure in areas such as ours.

“Ultimately if I were queen for a day, I would be pushing for rail invigoration, to reuse a resource that has been decommissioned in many places, but is largely still there.

“Some visionary planning is needed, the number of trucks on our roads is forever increasing.

“We have been trying to get the Narrandera Tocumwal line, which was decommissioned in the 80s, upgraded and back in service.

“Yes, it would take a lot of money, but there is good debt and bad debt, and this is definitely good debt. It would accomplish a lot. We need to get some of the freight off the roads.

“At the end of the day, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and everyone needs to get behind things and call for solutions, call for some action.

“Rural people need to stand up and say we provide the food and revenue, give us something back, the government keeps on letting us down.

“I did hear through various sources that overseas drivers are not equipped to drive on our roads, and that this will only lead to more fatalities, unless the government clamps down on this issue.

“An ambulance station at Darlington Point is sorely needed, the volunteer rescue association does great work, but the community is rightfully pushing for an ambulance station.

“If there were better roads, it might not be needed.”

The Office of Member for Farrer, Sussan Ley said Ms Ley has made a commitment to address and make comment on the issues of Sturt Highway in the area, when she is next in the area.

Transport for NSW told The Riverine Grazier, that in the last five years between 2018-2022, there have been 62 crashes on the Sturt Highway between Darlington Point, Hay to Balranald.

“These 62 crashes resulted in 56 casualties including six fatalities, eight serious injuries, 20 moderate injuries and 22 minor or other injuries,” the spokesperson said.

“Transport has installed approximately 25 kilometres of roadside safety barriers at high-risk locations between Hay and Buronga to reduce the severity of run-off road crashes.

“An enhanced centre line and rumble strips have been installed along the full extent of the Sturt Highway to reduce the likelihood of run off road and head on crashes.

“Curve improvements at five locations are being carried out this financial year on the Hay Plains east of Hay.

“Widening to the east of Euston is planned to commence in March. This project will protect road users from high and steep embankments on the approach to Euston (Murray Valley Highway intersection) for approximately 1.5 kilometres.

“The maintenance and heavy patching program for the Sturt Highway continues as planned, with Transport crews striving to maintain the pavement ahead of the maintenance specification requirements. Significant patching works have been carried out at various locations along the Sturt Highway.”

Images: The Riverine Grazier file footage - photographer Margie McClelland