Over to you

experience towing anything larger.

The purchase of a large four wheel drive vehicle and caravan is easy to buy and you are ready to hit the road. Wrong. What you now have is a vehicle combination that is loaded to its maximum weighing over six tonnes and driving this on the road is a whole different ballgame.

Plenty of people do it and get away with it but many do not, and they become another accident statistic.

drive forklifts etc. in an effort to be safe in the workplace and so some sort of training is common sense if you want to go caravanning.

I believe the best advice is to take matters into your own hands and do a caravan towing course.

You will be amazed at what you will learn. I recently helped manage a caravan park in a small country town and I was amazed at how poorly many caravan drivers drove.

I constantly had to hop into vehicles and back them into the parking bays. The male caravan driver always said that he was capable of reversing the caravan but his female companion always said that he was useless at reversing and got me to do it. It saved many arguments between couples. Many had no idea on how to reverse and use their mirrors and the drive through caravan bays were popular because they did not have to unhook the van.

My view is we should not have to have a special caravan license as our licensing system is shown to fall short in training and all you are doing is buying a license, however some sort of training is necessary to improve the skills of would be caravan drivers.

I think it is absurd that people with an ordinary car license can buy a caravan and be let loose on our roads. Often when we take up employment we are offered training to drive four wheel drive vehicles,

My advice to caravan drivers is do a training course and have a UHF radio so that you can communicate with trucks and especially oversize loads. I mentioned this to many caravan owners but they were reluctant to spend money on a radio and training course. They have already spent a huge amount of money on a four wheel drive plus a caravan and all the accessories and could not see the value in nonessential equipment.

I cannot fathom their way of thinking. Keep it safe, Ray Prat

The 2023-24 State Budget will include $13.6 billion worth of investment on transport infrastructure including $5.9 billion for the METRONET program.

The investment in the 2023-24 State Budget will continue the significant expansion of Perth's passenger rail network through the METRONET program including 23 new train stations, removal of 16 level crossings and 72 kilometres of new rail.

Nearly $6.5 billion will be invested to improve the efficiency and safety of our State's road network. Projects include:

• Tonkin Gap through Bayswater and Redcliffe;

• Bunbury Outer Ring Road;

• Albany Ring Road;

• Bussell Highway Duplication; and

• Mitchell Freeway upgrades.

The State Budget will also address the significant cost pressures that are currently impacting infrastructure delivery across the country.

Regional roads will see $5.3 billion allocated to improve and renew road infrastructure and major StateCommonwealth regional road projects funded in the 2023-24 budget include:

• $215 million for the Albany Ring Road;

• $76 million for the Port Hedland Airport Deviation;

• $115 million for the Bussell Highway Duplication;

• $55 million for the Indian Ocean Drive - Jurien Bay to Brand Highway;

• $1.35 billion for the Bunbury Outer Ring Road;

• $380 million for the Manuwarra Red Dog Highway (Stage 4);

• $120 million for the Marble Bar Road Upgrade;

• $275 million for the Great Northern

Highway - Bindoon BypassConstruct new alignment; and

• $250 million Great Eastern Highway upgrades at Coates Gully between Walgoolan and Southern Cross and from Ghooli to Benari.

Of the $542.75 million funding committed by the Australian and State Government towards sealing the 311km section of Tanami Road in Western Australia, $110 million is allocated over the next four years. Road works are planned to commence in mid-2023.

Works to seal the Outback Way also continue, with 222km of priority sections to be sealed through to 2026-27 with $150 million allocated over the next four years.

Funding has also been allocated for the following important WA regional programs over the next four years:

• $162 million for the Safer Roads and Bridges Program;

• $299 million for the Resealing Program; and

• $20 million for the Rail Crossing program.

A further $175 million will be invested in the jointly-funded State-Commonwealth Regional Road Safety Program, with around 8,500km of regional roads to be upgraded by mid-2025.

$135.8 million of additional funding has been budgeted for WA ports over the coming four years to nearly $1.9 billion and will include the expansion of Geraldton Port and Port of Port Hedland via development of Lumsden Point, delivery of a new cargo wharf at Dampier Port and planning for a new container terminal through Westport.

For more information, visit www. ourstatebudget.wa.gov.au

The Australian Freight Industry Awards are among the most coveted accolades in the Australian transport industry, recognising the outstanding achievements of Australian freight and logistics operators and the people they employ. 2020 marked the 31st Anniversary of the Awards.

The Australian Freight Industry Awards are but one way that recognises the fantastic achievements of operators, organisations and individuals right across our industry. Associates within the industry are encouraged to nominate for any of the six award categories that are contested each year including the:

• Female Leadership AwardProudly Sponsored by Viva Energy Australia

• Investment in People AwardProudly Sponsored by Logical Staffing Solutions

• Best Practice Safety AwardProudly Sponsored by Gallagher

• Application of Technology Award - Proudly Sponsored by Transport Certification Australia

• Sustainable Environment Award

• Young Achiever Award - Proudly Sponsored by Daimler Truck Australia Pacific Individuals and organisations may enter on their own behalf or be nominated by their industry peers. Each nomination must be accompanied by a typed summary (of no more than 1,500 words) outlining why the nomination is being put forward.

Supporting material in the form of charts, publications, diagrams or photos may be submitted with the summary.

Nominations are open to all organisations in the freight and logistics industry including suppliers, authorities and customers within Australia and you can enter multiple categories.

The closing date for nominations is Monday 14th August 2023 and if you would like to attend the 2023 Australian Freight Industry Awards visit afiawards. com.au/2023-afia-tickets