Dubbo contractors have commenced the construction of on a new truck wash at the Dubbo saleyards which aims to improve biosecurity.
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David Payne Construction have started work on the $1.5 million project, which is expected to be completed by April 2020.
Under round three of the NSW Government's Fixing Country Roads program, Dubbo Regional Council was successful in funding of $819,467 from Restart NSW.
In addition to the extra wash bay other features that will be included in the upgrade process include new pumps, more slope to allow trucks to drain quicker, a longer facility, more efficient lighting, screen bays and cameras.
Manager of the Dubbo Regional Livestock Markets, Ross McCarthy said the wash bays will be much larger, longer and away from powerlines, resulting in a much safer area for operators to use.
"The whole truck wash facilities are very important for users of the saleyards because they're able to maintain their trucks better, which gives them a longer life," he added.
"And the main reason is biosecurity; so trucks will be able to wash out the spread of weeds but also diseases.
"The stock will also be presented much better, either when they're coming in or going to another facility."
In a year about 6000 truck washes are conducted at the Dubbo saleayards, which Mr McCarthy said come from all over the central west, plus Queensland and Victoria and South Australia.
Dubbo MP Dugald Saunders said the trucking industry has changed and accelerated in the last five years which has resulted in transport carriers carrying more stock, more efficiently.
"We need to be able to help them clean those larger trucks and (allow them to) have better transport options in a much better way," he explained.
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Mr Saunders said it was important to be aware of biosecurity risks, adding that we don't want trucks carting stock fluids.
"Having a rinse off is really important and also the separation, so water can be reused. It will be pumped out, filtered, stored and reused again to hose out the yards in general," he said.
"The other material will be used for compost and reused across the Shire which is fantastic."
Dubbo Regional Council mayor Ben Shields said decontaminating trucks that transport livestock was an integral part of the agriculture industry's biosecurity measures.
"As it is paramount in preventing disease transmission," he explained.
"Regular washouts also prolong the life of livestock trucks."
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