Grape growers stung with hefty fines for breaching their load limits claim they have been unfairly targeted this vintage.
WINE grape growers stung with hefty fines for breaching their load limits claim they have been unfairly targeted by the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) this vintage.
In addition, the RMS has requested a number of Griffith winery intake records with the intention of issuing retrospective fines for the past two to three years.
The Wine Grapes Marketing Board (WGMB) held an information seminar last month to help everyone involved in the "chain of responsibility" for grape transportation understand the legislation and their roles.
WGMB industry development officer Kristy Bartrop said the main problem many growers faced was that they did not have any way to weigh their loads before they left the farm.
"Growers haven't had this level of enforcement before and they're finding it hard to comply because they have not had to worry that much," Mrs Bartrop said.
"The weighbridges on the roads have a 3 per cent leeway but growers are being fined if they're so much as 100 grams over."
But a spokeswoman from the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) has not recently changed its requirements or enforcement of truck mass limits, nor had the legislation changed.
"The RMS enforces truck mass limits," she said.
"Overloaded trucks damage roads and other infrastructure, can be unsafe and pose a risk to all road users.
"Overloading may affect the handling and stopping ability of a heavy vehicle."
She said the chain of responsibility legislation placed the onus on operators and other parties in the logistics supply chain, including consignors, loaders and consignees.
"These parties must take reasonable steps to prevent overloading and breaches of road transport laws relating to heavy vehicles," she said.
"RMS is working closely with the grape industry to assist them in understanding their obligations and how to comply with the law."
She also said the RMS did not log grape truck infringements separately to other primary produce and grapes were not treated differently to other any other agricultural sector or commodity.
Roadside weighbridges are maintained by the National Measurement Institute.