Source : Perth Now news
A 13-fold increase in truck movements per day has forced the Shire of Murray to change its budget to pay for road repairs in Pinjarra.
The council voted at its September 24 meeting to move $100,000 from one of its reserves to pay for work on Herron Point Road between Forrest Highway and Old Bunbury Road.
It will also investigate recovering costs if the repair bill exceeds current haulage contributions from sand extraction businesses that are believed to have contributed to the damage.
A council report said there had been a significant increase in sand extraction and haulage from a property on Old Bunbury Road that provided sand fill material.
Truck movements on Herron Point Road had increased from 22 trucks per day in November 2020 to 291 in July 2025.
The report said this had contributed to the road’s deterioration, which included failing bitumen edges and eroded gravel shoulders.
The extractive sand industry on Old Bunbury Road was approved by the council in 2018. One of the conditions of approval was an annual haulage fee for road rehabilitation for cartage of sand material on roads under the shire’s care and control.
“Contributions raised from the extractive industry planning approval conditions … should be utilised in the first instance to fund the works,” the report said.
Any road damages liable under the Road Traffic Act 1974 were also to be reinstated to the shire’s satisfaction.
Deputy shire president Ange Rogers commended staff for their quick turnaround.
“This was only reported a short few weeks ago and they’ve already obviously gone out, assessed the situation,” she said.
“It’s come up for money to be allocated and had the remediation work pencilled in to have that done, so I’m sure the road users of this road will be very appreciative.”
