Jo Veneman, a director of North Queensland company Renewable Homes, was recently taken aback by a $1000 bill for her truck to cross the Burdekin Bridge, a key freight route between Ayr and Home Hill on the Bruce Highway. The bridge, which serves both road users and trains, has a unique design that forces full closures when vehicles larger than garbage trucks need to pass.
The Burdekin Bridge, managed by Queensland Rail and Transport and Main Roads, frequently experiences closures - up to 10 to 15 times per day. These closures occur to allow large vehicles to safely cross, with each closure typically costing around $66, adding up to approximately $361,350 annually.
Jo’s situation arose when one of her trucks, carrying a 6-metre wide and 5.2-metre-high load, required a crossing. Queensland Rail, unable to provide an internal track protection officer due to staffing shortages, contracted out the service to another provider. This resulted in a bill exceeding $1000 for the crossing.
Jo expressed frustration at what she sees as a lack of competition for track protection services, stating that with only one approved contractor handling these jobs, prices are inflated, describing the situation as "daylight robbery," highlighting the disproportionate costs for small businesses.
In response to the incident, Queensland Rail explained that safety is their top priority, and track protection officers are needed to ensure the safety of all parties, including the transport crew, rail staff, and infrastructure. While Queensland Rail aims to provide internal officers when given sufficient notice, they acknowledged that sometimes external contractors are necessary due to resource constraints. The cost of these services depends on factors like the size of the load and the required train planning.
Jo’s experience has sparked concerns over the high costs and limited options for small fleet operators, who are left to bear the brunt of the financial burden when crossing the Burdekin Bridge.
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