HOW and where freight should move around Canberra is up for discussion with the launch of a discussion paper on the ACT Freight Strategy by the new Minister for Planning Mick Gentleman.
“Over 12 million tonnes of freight comes into the ACT every year by road and air, with that figure projected to double in the next 20 years,” Mick said.
“We therefore need to make sure we have an efficient, safe and well-designed freight network that ensures route sustainability, safety and amenity to the community.
“As Canberra continues to grow, and the demand for freight increases, we need to plan which roads the different types of trucks can use while ensuring our deliveries are made when and where we need them.
“It may be that the current road network will need to be upgraded to allow heavier vehicles on more roads, but this needs to happen with minimal impact on the community – and the roads themselves.
“Service delivery in our suburbs, and the use of large trucks, is part of modern day life and is a trade-off we must have if we want our groceries, fuel and other goods delivered, but we can put parameters around it to minimise the number of trucks in residential areas and near schools.
“We may also have to determine locations where drivers park their trucks overnight and whether B-doubles need to stay out of the built up area altogether and de-couple before entering the city and, if so, what infrastructure will be needed for this” Mr Gentleman said.
The discussion paper is available online and comments close on 31 August.
Who can be trusted?
In a world of spin and confusion, there’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in Canberra.
If you trust our work online and want to enforce the power of independent voices, I invite you to make a small contribution.
Every dollar of support is invested back into our journalism to help keep citynews.com.au strong and free.
Thank you,
Ian Meikle, editor
Leave a Reply