Regarding the temporary 10 tonne limit placed on Kin Kin Road due to May’s severe weather, we have received the following response from Transport and Main Roads (TMR) to our and our residents’ concerns:
Based on reports of heavy vehicle use exceeding the 10 tonne limit last week, TMR Transport Inspectors increased operations on Kin Kin Road to monitor and enforce compliance. Additional signs were installed on the afternoon of 24 May 2022 to increase awareness, and VMS were adjusted to include regulatory details of the applicable penalties.
The mass limit is applied under Section 46 of the Transport Infrastructure Act 1994. The maximum penalty for breaching these restrictions is 200 penalty units, which equates to $27,570. This is enforceable by TMR’s Transport Inspectors and not by QPS.
TMR’s Transport Inspectors must intercept and weigh vehicles as part of the official evidence gathering process to be able to issue penalty infringements. On this basis, breaches cannot be issued retrospectively based on dated photos or videos provided to TMR; we understand this may be frustrating to some members of the community. The mass limit only applies to the specified section of Kin Kin Road and TMR enforcement does not apply to other roads on the local network, such as Dr Pages Road or Sheppersons Lane.
TMR can confirm that warnings were issued to two heavy vehicle operators on 24 May 2022 while additional regulatory signage was being installed. Warnings were given at this time because there was no evidence that the vehicles passed a sign on their route and they were advised that a penalty would be issued if they returned. Further patrols have not identified any weight-confirmed non-compliance to date. TMR’s Transport Inspectors will be operating on Kin Kin Road again this week to monitor and enforce compliance. Any heavy vehicle operators found to be in breach of the mass limit will be issued with a notice of penalty infringement.
TMR has received a number of enquiries from local businesses representing a range of industries and businesses including agricultural, landscaping and excavation. TMR is also aware of enquiries about refuse trucks. I can advise that an exemption has not been granted for refuse trucks at this time due to the road shoulders remaining saturated, and the nature of stop/start movements of refuse collection potentially damaging the road shoulders and driveways to access bins.
TMR provided a general exemption for school buses and a public Translink bus service operating on Kin Kin Road between Louis Bazzo Drive and Greenridge Pinbarren Road intersections, for roadworks being undertaken by TMR’s contractors in repairing the road, as well as two single use permits for low impact movements. No other exemptions have been given to date.
The mass limit is a short-term measure only. These restrictions will be further reduced or lifted as soon as possible, primarily based on weather and road conditions/repairs. We thank people for their patience and understanding while the temporary mass limit remains in place, as we understand it has impacts to services and businesses.
We urge all road users to drive safely to the prevailing conditions. Periods of heavy rain mean potholes and defects can form quickly, and unfortunately repairs sometimes do not hold if there is continued wet weather.
We have written to TMR to clarify the policy or legislation constraints on a number of items, including as to why photographic or video time stamped evidence cannot be used, and will update once received.