BUNGAREE’S weighbridge could be permanently closed by April after Moorabool Council decided against prolonging its limited life expectancy.
A report found the almost-50-year-old weighbridge was in “fair condition at best” and catered for only 350 vehicles a year, mainly local farmers.
The obsolete bridge is not expected to last longer than five years.
Its immediate future is dependant on the current operator’s application for mandatory accreditation with the National Measurement Institute. The NMI will allow it to be operated until results are assessed.
If the application is unsuccessful, and no replacement operator can be found, the council will be forced to close the weighbridge.
The council report found there were 23 public weighbridges in the Melbourne metropolitan area, including three in Ballarat. Deemed an “obsolete structure” with limited ability to undertake refurbishment or rehabilitation works, the weighbridge can only accommodate vehicles up to 15 metres in length, unless concrete aprons are extended, which would cost the council up to $40,000. Total costs to renew the structure were estimated at $750,000.
A Victorian Farmers Federation spokesman said the organisation was not aware of any local concerns about the weighbridge’s future.
The council indicated it would write to weighbridge users and provide details of alternate locations.
