❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice regarding a double fatality near Coonarie Creek Bridge in 2017, focusing on Main Roads WA's duty of care, maintenance procedures, risk assessments, signage, and potential contributing factors like PBS trucks and expansion joint failures. The Road Safety Commission deferred most questions to the Minister for Transport.
AnsweredQoN 5844Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to a double fatality on Coonarie Creek Bridge Southern Approach on 30 June 2017 at 3pm (IMS:300617 1500 13594), and I ask: (a) Does Main Roads Western Australia (MRWA) have a duty of care to all
road users in Western Australian to ensure the minimisation of risk to road
users; (b) When was the bridge damage to the
southern approach of Coonarie Creek on Great Northern Highway approximately 165
kilometres south of Port Hedland first recognised or reported to MRWA; (c) How
long was the timeframe to action the works on Coonarie Bridge (i.e. from the time
the maintenance was first factored in by MRWA until the time when the
southern end of Coonarie Bridge was repaired). Please provide in detail; (d) Did MRWA receive any written or
verbal complaints from any party in relation to damaged expansion joints at Coonarie
Bridge? If so, please provide details; (e) Was
a safety management plan for the Coonarie Bridge maintenance scheduled around
June 2017 created? If so, please provide a copy; (f) Was
a safety risk assessment conducted on Coonarie Bridge prior to work commencing?
If so, please provide a copy; (g) Were
supplementary safety risk assessments conducted on Coonarie Bridge during the
time of commencement of road works and the completion of road works in June
2017? If so, please provide examples; (h) Did any risk assessment in relation
to the broken expansion gaps at Coonarie Bridge consider the danger to trucks
travelling at 60 KPH over a gap measuring approximately 150 mm and the
subsequent risk and reaction of a heavy truck engaging the dilapidated road section
at 60 KPH; (i) Is
a register of temporary speed limits stipulated during road works kept? If so
were the Coonarie Bridge reduction in limits from 110 KPH to 80 KPH to 60 KPH included on any
register? Please provide evidence if it exists; (j) What risk methodology did MRWA use to
formulate the reduced speed limits on Coonarie Bridge in June 2017 from
110 KPH to 80 KPH to 60 KPH; (k) Are regular inspections of roadside
signs to ensure signs are intact, upright and in good condition conducted; (l) If regular roadside sign inspections
are organised what is the frequency of these inspections; (m) Who was responsible to ensure
compliance in relation to signage maintenance and condition in June 2017 at
Coonarie Bridge; (n) Were any inspections conducted on
signage on Coonarie Bridge on 30 June 2017: (i) If so, who was the person who conducted the inspections and oversaw any corrective action required; (o) Why did the expansion joints on
Coonarie Bridge and several others bridges in the region collapse in 2017; (p) Does MRWA receive any remuneration
from users of Performance Based Standards (PBS) approved trucks in the Pilbara area for any perceived road
damage: (i) If so what amount of money has been
collected by MRWA from contractors using the PBS scheme since 2017; and (ii) If such funds are generated is the money allocated to local roads maintenance, or do the funds go into general revenue for MRWA; (q) What is the load bearing rate of expansion joints on Coonarie Bridge; (r) Are PBS trucks with large loads and
axle capacities responsible for damage to expansion joints on bridges such as
the one at the southern approach to Coonarie Creek bridge crossing; (s) How many incidents of road works
signs and speed limit signs falling over at Coonarie Bridge were reported from
the time the signs were erected till the completion of works around June 2017; (t) What calendar period were the signs
in place at Coonarie Bridge for the June 2017 maintenance at Coonarie Bridge; (u) Is there any stipulation within MRWA
requirements to construct signs of a more permanent nature if it takes more
than two weeks to remedy a maintenance job; (v) Speed limit signs had fallen over
around the time of the crash at 3:00 PM on 30 June 2017. By 4:30 PM on June 30,
2017 these signs had been reinstated. Who was responsible for resurrecting
these 80 and 60 KPH signs; (w) MRWA promptly repaired expansion
joints on the southern approach to Coonarie Creek bridge around 2 July 2017. Who
authorised these repairs; and (x) Was the Minister's
office approached a few days after the accident requesting that an independent investigation be launched: (i) If so, why was the request declined?
road users in Western Australian to ensure the minimisation of risk to road
users; (b) When was the bridge damage to the
southern approach of Coonarie Creek on Great Northern Highway approximately 165
kilometres south of Port Hedland first recognised or reported to MRWA; (c) How
long was the timeframe to action the works on Coonarie Bridge (i.e. from the time
the maintenance was first factored in by MRWA until the time when the
southern end of Coonarie Bridge was repaired). Please provide in detail; (d) Did MRWA receive any written or
verbal complaints from any party in relation to damaged expansion joints at Coonarie
Bridge? If so, please provide details; (e) Was
a safety management plan for the Coonarie Bridge maintenance scheduled around
June 2017 created? If so, please provide a copy; (f) Was
a safety risk assessment conducted on Coonarie Bridge prior to work commencing?
If so, please provide a copy; (g) Were
supplementary safety risk assessments conducted on Coonarie Bridge during the
time of commencement of road works and the completion of road works in June
2017? If so, please provide examples; (h) Did any risk assessment in relation
to the broken expansion gaps at Coonarie Bridge consider the danger to trucks
travelling at 60 KPH over a gap measuring approximately 150 mm and the
subsequent risk and reaction of a heavy truck engaging the dilapidated road section
at 60 KPH; (i) Is
a register of temporary speed limits stipulated during road works kept? If so
were the Coonarie Bridge reduction in limits from 110 KPH to 80 KPH to 60 KPH included on any
register? Please provide evidence if it exists; (j) What risk methodology did MRWA use to
formulate the reduced speed limits on Coonarie Bridge in June 2017 from
110 KPH to 80 KPH to 60 KPH; (k) Are regular inspections of roadside
signs to ensure signs are intact, upright and in good condition conducted; (l) If regular roadside sign inspections
are organised what is the frequency of these inspections; (m) Who was responsible to ensure
compliance in relation to signage maintenance and condition in June 2017 at
Coonarie Bridge; (n) Were any inspections conducted on
signage on Coonarie Bridge on 30 June 2017: (i) If so, who was the person who conducted the inspections and oversaw any corrective action required; (o) Why did the expansion joints on
Coonarie Bridge and several others bridges in the region collapse in 2017; (p) Does MRWA receive any remuneration
from users of Performance Based Standards (PBS) approved trucks in the Pilbara area for any perceived road
damage: (i) If so what amount of money has been
collected by MRWA from contractors using the PBS scheme since 2017; and (ii) If such funds are generated is the money allocated to local roads maintenance, or do the funds go into general revenue for MRWA; (q) What is the load bearing rate of expansion joints on Coonarie Bridge; (r) Are PBS trucks with large loads and
axle capacities responsible for damage to expansion joints on bridges such as
the one at the southern approach to Coonarie Creek bridge crossing; (s) How many incidents of road works
signs and speed limit signs falling over at Coonarie Bridge were reported from
the time the signs were erected till the completion of works around June 2017; (t) What calendar period were the signs
in place at Coonarie Bridge for the June 2017 maintenance at Coonarie Bridge; (u) Is there any stipulation within MRWA
requirements to construct signs of a more permanent nature if it takes more
than two weeks to remedy a maintenance job; (v) Speed limit signs had fallen over
around the time of the crash at 3:00 PM on 30 June 2017. By 4:30 PM on June 30,
2017 these signs had been reinstated. Who was responsible for resurrecting
these 80 and 60 KPH signs; (w) MRWA promptly repaired expansion
joints on the southern approach to Coonarie Creek bridge around 2 July 2017. Who
authorised these repairs; and (x) Was the Minister's
office approached a few days after the accident requesting that an independent investigation be launched: (i) If so, why was the request declined?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
12 February 2020
Responded by
Minister for Police; Road Safety
Response time
3 days
The Road Safety Commision advise:
(a) – (w) These matters fall within the portfolio of the Minister for Transport.
(x) No
(x) (i) n/a
I refer the Member to Legislative Assembly QON 5845.
(a) – (w) These matters fall within the portfolio of the Minister for Transport.
(x) No
(x) (i) n/a
I refer the Member to Legislative Assembly QON 5845.
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