Have your say in Australia's rest area upgrades

When the road is opening up in front of you and the horizon seems to stretch forever... there is nothing like having the precious moment shattered by a desperate need to visit the loo.

And if there’s nowhere likely to turn off the road—well, let’s just say that things can go quickly south.

Sadly, this is an all-too-common occurrence for Aussie truckers and transport workers, who are sometimes driving hundreds of kilometres between rest areas.

It’s a well-recorded fact that rest areas along truck routes and highways are lacking in both frequency and amenities in Australia—with too few places to turn off and park the rig, catch some shut eye, or access essentials like a shower or a clean table to eat a meal.

Without adequate opportunities for rest, driver fatigue levels are also blown out. To address the countrywide issue, the Australian Federal Government has introduced the Heavy Vehicle Rest Areas (HVRA) initiative.

The HVRA initiative has been allocated $140 million in government funding to create new rest areas and improve the quality of existing ones.

This covers anything from better toilet facilities, increased rubbish and recycling opportunities, footpaths for exercise and improving shelters so there’s somewhere to grab a bite to eat. The short of the long story is that it’s recognised that there’s much to be done to make rest areas a friendly and welcoming place for truckies and other road users.

Have your say

As part of the HVRA initiative, project proposals can come from state, territory and local governments and will be assessed in accordance with the recently updated guidelines (which can be found here).

Truck drivers, fleet managers, owner-operators and general road users are also encouraged to have their say and can do so easily via an online survey.

The survey asks questions about whether a location has an existing rest area and what amenities are available (for example, bins, toilets, showers, benches, lighting, and sun protection). It also encourages participants to have their say on what resources should be added, or where brand new rest areas should be built.

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Things to consider before starting the survey

If you’re thinking about contributing to the HVRA initiative through the survey (and we encourage all road users to give it a go), it’s important to note that no two rest areas are alike in terms of space, access, and its ability to support a number of people or vehicles.

This all has an impact on the types of features the rest area in question can support.

For example, many rest areas in regional or remote areas are unable to support the infrastructure or water supply for shower facilities. But that doesn't mean that a rest area should not be built or improved in that location.

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Survey tips

If you’re keen to get started on the survey, first, identify the location of where you think a rest area is needed. That means naming the highway or main route and any relevant information that can be clearly communicated about the location.

If a rest area already exists there, but can be improved, then locate the highway it is on, the name of the rest area if known, and any other relevant information that makes it easy to identify.

Finding out what your local council is already proposing could also potentially help move things along in your area of interest—the more attention a proposal gets, the more chance it has of succeeding.

You can reach out to the local council or check whether any proposals have been published online by your state or territory government (here’s a handy government directory), such as the Bruce Highway Upgrades on the Queensland Department of Main Roads and Transport website.

Examples of current projects that are underway...

• The Bruce Highway in Queensland can see anywhere from 600 to 23,000 heavy vehicles per day. Plans are in place to add new rest areas along the length of the highway to help improve fatigue management for truck drivers.
• The Newell Highway in New South Wales is getting a new rest area including: 18 truck parking spaces up to 48.5 metres long, short-term, and long-term parking, solar lighting, rubbish bins, toilets, and outdoor eating areas.
• Work has begun on new rest areas along the Kamilaroi Highway in New South Wales, which includes toilets, picnic tables, shelters, and extended parking spaces.

People power

Businesses have a stake in the safety of their drivers and by contributing to the HVRA initiative, you have the ability to make a difference to their health and wellbeing. If you’re an owner-driver, there’s simply nothing to lose!

If you think you can make a valuable contribution, it’s time to put pen to paper, fingers to the keyboard and add your voice to the conversation with your local council, boss, fleet manager or friends in the industry.

Ready to upgrade your licence class but unsure about the process? Check out this blog.