Add Category
As the damage toll caused by flooding in northern Western Australia continues to grow, authorities estimate some freight routes could be closed for months.
Key points:
- Damage to the Great Northern Highway has cut off East Kimberley communities from their main supply route
- Truck drivers are driving thousands of kilometres along the Nullarbor Plain and isolated outback roads to ensure supplies get through
- Drivers say the 12,000-kilometre round trip will take days to reach northern communities
With many towns north-east of Fitzroy Crossing still cut off, a new trucking route through central Australia is providing a lifeline to isolated communities.
More than 100 triple-road trains have already set off for the Kimberley, with more expected to follow in the coming weeks.
Katie Gianoncelli is one of the drivers making the 12,000-kilometre return journey on a route that takes them east to South Australia and then north through the Northern Territory to Katherine and west again to Fitzroy Crossing.
"It's almost double the distance, it's about 80 per cent longer than what we normally do," she said.
Unexpected route
The new route through South Australia and the Northern Territory is a first for Ms Gianoncelli, who normally runs loads from Perth to Kununurra via Broome.
With only 18 months of experience under her belt, the long-haul driver said she never expected to drive a tri-state route into the Kimberley.
Ms Gianoncelli said she and her driving partner, Peter Park, were expecting to make the route once a fortnight to meet the demand for supplies.
Driving in pairs
Debbie Markcrow is another long-haul driver who runs loads from Perth to Wilcannia in New South Wales each week.
She said there had been a visible rise in the amount of freight being moved across the Nullarbor in the past two weeks.
"There has been a big change since the flooding in the Kimberley," she said.
"It's increased, noticeably a lot more traffic in trucks — and caravans I should add"
Like Ms Gianoncelli, Ms Markcrow drives a two-up rig — a truck that runs 24/7 with two drivers spitting the day and night driving shifts.
She said two-up rigs were the fastest way to get road freight into Kimberley, but for truckies driving the 12,000km route alone, the trip could take days.
"It's a hell of a lot longer if you are a solo driver, you could probably add on a couple of extra days of travel," she said.
"If you're carrying produce or anything that's got to get there quick, it's not going to be so quick right now."
More trucks to come
The increased traffic through the WA Goldfields has seen the remote Cocklebiddy roadhouse — more than 1,100 km east of Perth — become a hub for drivers making their way north.
Owner Troy Pike said it's the busiest he been in 40 years.
"It's been phenomenal I can't even explain it. We've never seen this amount of traffic and people, ever," he said.
With northern residents cut off and repairs to key infrastructure expected to take months, Mr Pike said he expects more trucks would pass through the roadhouse in the weeks to come.
"I would say we're up 30 per cent at the moment. I would assume that will be maybe 60 per cent by Tuesday and Wednesday when the full brunt of that comes through," he said.
Down for the long haul
With flood waters starting to recede, some roads in the Kimberley have been reopened, but with the full extent of the damage still unknown the Western Roads Federation said the route across the Nullarbor was likely to remain in use well into the dry season.
Chief executive Cam Dumesny said the triple road train detour was "long term disruption", but one that was needed to keep freight moving in and out of the region.
For long haul drivers like Ms Gianoncelli, the mammoth trip is just business as usual.
"They, need the supplies and they engage us to get their produce from Perth to Kununurra," she said.
"We'll see what happens in the future."