Pinjarra Bypass Plans Revived Amid Safety Concerns

A growing chorus of voices is calling for the long-awaited heavy haulage bypass in Pinjarra to be built, as the town continues to grapple with the impacts of hundreds of trucks passing through its main street every day.

Approximately 800 heavy haulage trucks roll through the town, located 80 kilometres south of Perth, daily, with many passing close to schools, cafes, homes, and businesses. The town is home to 6,000 people and is situated near several major mining projects, including the Pinjarra Alumina Refinery.

Safety Concerns

Shire of Murray President Douglas McLarty said the vehicles regularly lock down the town centre, posing a risk to residents, particularly children. "We have students, parents, caregivers interfacing with heavy haulage every single day trying to access either of those two schools," he said. "We're talking about loads that are going through the centre of town and nearly touching parked cars on either side of the road … knocking the traffic lights over."

Business owner Caris McClements expressed concerns about the impact on the local lifestyle, citing noise and disruptions caused by the trucks. "Often we might have to halt a conversation with a customer because a truck is going past and they're really noisy, or we see a truck slam on the brakes as they come up to the crosswalk," she said. "Sometimes that main street might get shut for a bit and everyone gets stopped for five, 10 minutes while the big truck rolls through."

Bypass Plans

Plans for a bypass have been on the agenda since the 1990s and were backed by $50 million in state funding and $200 million from the federal government in 2022. However, the federal government stripped its share of funding from the project in 2023, despite the WA government reaffirming its commitment to the road. The project remains in the planning and approvals stage.

Liberal member for Murray-Wellington David Bolt said the situation was becoming dangerous. "It's an issue with noise, it's an issue with crossing the road," he said. "But the main issue is the vehicles are increasing in number and at some point, we're going to have a major accident."

Concerns about the Proposed Route

A further complication has been concerns the proposed route would disturb the site of the Pinjarra Massacre, one of the most brutal attacks on Aboriginal people in WA's history. Bindjareb woman Karrie-Anne Kearing said her family had worked to keep the site protected for generations. "We go over to other countries, and they respect our fallen, I think that should also be seen over here in our own country, as Noongar people, they fought for their country, and they lost lives," she said. "We need that same respect shown to our ancestors or elder people that actually lost their lives there."

Community Divided

Not everyone is in favour of the bypass, with some residents concerned that it could divert visitors away from the town. Bron May, who works in the centre of Pinjarra, said some people enjoyed seeing the trucks pass through. "We see a lot of people that are visitors to the town, who, are always taking photos of the big trucks," she said. "There's little kids, they love to see them coming through."

Ms May expressed concerns that visitors would be diverted away from Pinjarra if the bypass is built. "Are we going to lose them as well because they're going to use the deviation road?" she said.

A Main Roads spokesperson said the massacre site remained a significant planning consideration, with a formal memorial or education initiative being considered. "Further work is required before the preferred alignment can be confirmed and any decisions regarding project timing or construction can be made," they said.