A group of farmers and transport operators are writing a response to the Yorke Peninsula Council's much-criticised Heavy Vehicle Access Strategy and plan to have it signed by all those potentially affected.
Proposals within the strategy, such as not allowing B-Double trucks to drive on a considerable number of YP roads at night or during wet conditions, have copped backlash from the trucking and farming sector in the past week.
A group of local farmers and trucking operators gathered on Tuesday night to discuss the strategy and formulate a response.
The response will be shared and signatures gathered before being sent to Council.
Among them was Price-based transporter Shane Carty. About half of his business is trucking a variety of freight and produce for the agricultural sector.
"The freight has got to be moved and we can't use rail," he said.
"If we go back to single trailers, in my operation I'd have to have 55 per cent more trucks on the road.
"There's going to be double the chance for accidents with more trucks on the road.
"It'll also dramatically increase the cost of transport for primary producers."
With more of the farming and transporting community now aware of the heavy vehicle strategy, there is optimism some of the proposals will be scrapped or watered down.
Mr Carty said he could make do with a speed reduction to 60km/hr on unsealed roads for heavy vehicles longer than 26m, but some of the other proposals simply wouldn't work.
"If you go to Adelaide with your A-Double or B-Double to get a load fertiliser and it rains while you're gone, what can you do - park at Port Wakefield and wait for the roads to dry?"
It is understood the strategy went to the consultation phase without the go ahead from the Council's own roads working party, but the Council has defended itself with a spokesperson saying it "is a draft only and contains a range of different options to improve safety on Yorke Peninsula roads".
"Ensuring our roads are safe for all users now and in the future is of high importance, and that is why we are providing the opportunity for people to consider a wide variety of proposals," the spokesperson said.
"We welcome all feedback and have reached out directly to industry groups and other stakeholders, in addition to our general public consultation."
The South Australian Road Transport Association and Grain Producers SA said the strategy in its current form would severely impact agricultural productivity, increase transport costs for primary producers and increase road safety risk.
Other proposals in the strategy include limiting speeds on roads with 'priority one' issues to 30 kilometres an hour, and changing speed limits on all HML permit approved networks to 50km/h.
Primary producers would also need to contribute an extra $600,000 for road repairs if the Council's strategy were adopted.
The Heavy Vehicle Access Strategy was compiled with the view of managing the wear and tear on the region's road network which includes 3143 kilometres of unsealed roads.
A consultant determined 12.7 per cent of those unsealed roads were affected by P1 issues at 152 locations and 23.1pc were affected by P2 issues at 280 locations.
With inadequate funding to fix all issues, the Council believes managing the risk through heavy vehicle restrictions and an extra $600,000 a year contribution from farmers is the best approach.
Proposed restrictions on heavy vehicles on roads with P1 issues include "speed reductions to 30km/hr coupled with the use of amber rotating hazard beacons" and "no gazette or permit HV operation in wet conditions and no operation for the same outside of day light hours (between 5pm and 7am to cover winter)".
