Truck drivers on Tasmania’s busiest freight route have nowhere safe to stop or use a toilet for 105 kilometres – and the industry says a rejected Oatlands truck stop would have fixed the problem.
The Southern Midlands Council will today reconsider its February refusal of the more than $6 million Tas Petroleum development, after direction from the Tasmanian Planning Commission.
Scottsdale-based operator Calvin Jones, who has driven the Midland Highway for 53 years and runs Dobson’s Transport, said current roadside pull-over areas were unsafe and unhygienic.
“It is common to see dirty nappies, rubbish and even piles of vomit scattered through this area,” Jones said in a letter to councillors.
“Drivers often have no choice but to stop there in the dark, unknowingly step through the filth and then climb back into their vehicles.”
“It is embarrassing for Tasmania and unacceptable for a state that relies so heavily on transport and tourism.”
Jones said fatigue laws left drivers with no choice but to stop.
The proposed 24/7 facility, at the corner of the Midland Highway and Interlaken Road, would include fuel, EV charging, showers, toilets and a dedicated heavy vehicle rest area.
A traffic counter near the site recorded 5,453 vehicles a day in 2025. Of those, 23% were heavy vehicles.
The site was named as a priority in the state government’s 2020 heavy vehicle rest area strategy.
Councillors voted 5-2 against the proposal on February 24, despite planning officers and the Department of State Growth recommending approval.
The refusal cited road safety, trade competition with the existing Oatlands BP and potential impacts on council-owned EV chargers at the town pool.
More than 20 transport operators have signed letters of support.
John de Bruyn from De Bruyn’s Transport chairs the state’s heavy vehicle rest area industry reference group.
“Our heavy vehicle drivers working on Tasmania’s freight network need safe and appropriate places where they can stop, manage fatigue, access toilets and take a break from the road,” de Bruyn said.
Tasmanian Transport Association executive director Michelle Harwood said Tasmania did not meet national rest area guidelines.
AFI Logistics managing director Sam Reid said his fleet was running out of options.
“Fatigue management is not just a regulatory box-ticking exercise for us – it is a fundamental pillar of our safety culture,” Reid said.
Traffic engineer Keith Midson lodged fresh advice this week stating the Midland Highway and Interlaken Road junction was safe, with State Growth recently upgrading it to a three-star AusRAP rating.
Tas Petroleum has put forward changes to address council concerns, including donating EV charging revenue to council, adding stone cladding to the amenities block and offering a rent-free spot for a local coffee van.
Tas Petroleum general manager Nathan Thurlow has asked Councillor Donald Fish to declare a conflict and step aside, as Fish’s nephew operates the Oatlands BP.
“This facility represents a significant investment in Tasmania’s transport infrastructure and would provide meaningful benefits to the broader trucking community across the state,” Thurlow said.
“We respectfully ask council to consider the wider statewide benefit of the proposal, recognising that its positive impacts extend well beyond the Southern Midlands municipality.”
