PERMITS to allow the movement of agricultural machinery at night have been labelled as a step forward in the campaign to resolve long-standing agricultural transport issues.
In country SA, farmers have been able to apply for permits to move machinery up to four metres wide and 25m long since September 1.
Primary Producers SA have also released a survey as part of an investigation into how widths beyond 4m could be accommodated.
Ungarra farmer Karen Baines said while most broadacre cropping machinery moved at night exceeded the nationally-set width restriction, it was good to see communication lines open between industry and government.
“They have given us a blanket 4m width across the state so that’s more than some states,” she said.
“There will be plenty of people, not on broadacre, that can use that.”
PPSA chairman Rob Kerin said feedback from the grains industry suggested there would be further efficiency gains for producers if they could move machinery wider than 4m at night.
“The Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure and the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator would need to approve such a change, so PPSA will gather information on how, where and when producers would move machinery at night to help inform that decision,” he said.
“Producers should remember that four weeks ago there was no capacity to move machinery at night so every step we make is a step in the right direction.”
