Farmers speak up on transport issues

PPSA chairperson Rob Kerin said the organisation had decided to extend the survey deadline until December 15 to let more interested parties have their say, especially farmers who have finished harvest and now have more time on their hands.

Advisory Board of Agriculture member Karen Baines, Ungarra, said the strong response to the survey showed the need for change, and encouraged anyone who had not had their say to do so before the revised deadline.

"The ag bureau really appreciates the efforts of those who have filled out the survey. If you haven't done so, please have a go - maybe our best chance of change is a united front and for us all to have a say on the issues affecting modern agriculture."

Ms Baines and ABA transport spokesman Andrew Kitto, Gladstone, attended a meeting of the project's steering committee on Thursday last week, detailing the urgent changes they think need to be made to regulations based on their extensive work in their local communities.

"Our laws have to keep up with modern agriculture," Ms Baines said. "We're trying to keep up with modern ideas like no-till and controlled traffic, but the laws just aren't keeping up."

One of the key messages of their presentation was the need for changes to maximum dimension allowances, escort regulations and towing combinations.

Mr Kitto said the distance farmers had to see ahead and to the rear along a road before not needing an escort needed revising down, as it was overly restrictive.

"It restricts a lot of farmers, and with many being a one-man operation, they can't have escorts front and back.

"We also want to increase the maximum width before you need to have a pilot vehicle. A lot of that has to do with self-propelled boomsprays ... and if you can't see one of them coming down the road then there's something wrong."