A DROVER concerned about reckless motorists has called for lower speed limits around travelling stock.
Drivers who fail to give way to livestock travelling along public roads and travelling stock routes may face more than $2200 in fines.
Under the Rural Lands Protection Act “the driver of a mechanically powered vehicle must give way to stock and to all other animals and any vehicle accompanying stock in a stock zone”.
If police witness drivers who fail to comply, they could also face further negligent driving and failing to give way offences, according to a NSW Police spokesman.
For drover Mark Hinman, this is little comfort.
“We’ve resorted to putting two signs up with flags on them about 100 metres apart both before and after the cattle, and a horseman before and after as well with a UHF radio to warn trucks there are cattle ahead,” he said.
Mr Hinman and his wife Louise, Hinman Pastoral Company, Coolah, have been droving their cattle for about four months.
He said drivers had cost him two head of cattle and countless repairs to boundary fences.
“Earlier in the year we lost two which were injured to the point where they couldn’t keep walking – we had to make a decision,” Mr Hinman said.
“We’ve had to fix boundary fences along the way because people come through here so quickly the cattle have two choices – be hit by the car or run through the fence.”
The Hinmans have a slow grazing permit to use a stock route along the Leadville Road which runs from Coolah and meets the Golden Highway 11 kilometres east of Dunedoo.
According to the Travelling Stock Route rules, “approved stock signs must be displayed when stock are being walked or grazed or within 300m of a public road” and “signs must be clearly visible to motorists who approach stock in either direction.”
But this has not been enough to slow down motorists, the Hinmans claim.
“I think we need to have speed limits to keep us safe – similar to road works or a school zone.
“It wouldn’t cost the government anything to do.”