Shire president calls for Fitzroy Bridge security guard as rock throwers put truckie lives in danger

Shire of Derby-West Kimberley president Geoff Haerewa has called for permanent security guards and safety nets to stop kids throwing rocks at road trains passing over the Fitzroy Bridge. It comes after the Fitzroy Crossing business community wrote to the State Government asking for immediate action following a string of incidents, including one in which a six-volt car battery was hurled at the windscreen of a road train as it travelled along Great Northern Highway. In a letter sent to Kimberley MLA Divina D’Anna, Police Commissioner Chris Dawson, and WA Road Safety Minister Paul Papalia, transport company G&V Roberts owner Vicki Roberts warned it was “inevitable” someone would be injured or killed as a result of the incidents. Ms Roberts’ comments were echoed by Federal Labor road safety shadow minister Glenn Sterle, who urged the State Government to “roll up their sleeves” and get to work addressing the issue. “A road train travelling at 50km/h doesn’t stop in a hurry and when the driver is distracted as items are pelted at the windscreen, it’s a very serious situation,” she said. “These incidents are not limited to just dark hours. We have had items thrown at 10am on a Sunday morning from the trees outside the BP.” Ms Roberts said in mid-2020, Fitzroy police told businesses they had set up cameras to record the incidents and would provide escorts through the troubled areas. “However, this only worked for a short time before the trucks and the police were once again the target of malicious damage,” she said. At the time of print, only Ms D’Anna had responded to the letter, who said she would raise the issue once Parliament resumed. Shire of Derby-West Kimberley President Geoff Haerewa said the State Government needed to take action “as soon as possible”. “I’ll be speaking to Divina (D’Anna) about this,” he said. “One of the main sites is the Fitzroy Bridge — it’s a single-lane bridge, so if there’s an accident and a truck gets stuck on there or flies off the edge, it’ll be a national highway shutdown for however long it takes to clear it.” Mr Haerewa said while he understood it was a complex issue, he believed there were a few things which could be put in place to reduce incidents at places such as the Fitzroy Bridge. “The State Government should be putting a permanent security guard there until they can figure something else out,” he said. “They could put a net up either side of the bridge to stop the rocks being thrown from below. “They are just a few ideas; they may not be the best but something needs to be done before someone is killed.” Mr Sterle said the lack of action on the issue was concerning. “Sometimes you get these city-based politicians who don’t understand how important these places are, or how dangerous things like this can be,” he said. “I would urge the relevant ministers to roll up their sleeves, get out to these communities and hear what residents are saying.” Mr Sterle said it was up to the letter recipients to address the problem. Mr Papalia’s office was contacted for comment but did not respond by time of print.