At 6am on Wednesday, police attached to the Joint Traffic Task Force in company with Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) inspectors, attended three Baiada plants in Hanwood, Tamworth and Newcastle to conduct an audit on heavy vehicles and trailers.

Highway Patrol officers at the Hanwood plant stopped 26 trucks and issued 16 defect notices, three of them major defects, eight traffic infringement notices, conducted 26 random breath tests, 15 engine control module downloads with one non compliant unit found and one outstanding warrant was executed.

Statewide, officers inspected 135 heavy vehicle units and issued 25 traffic infringement notices, found five non-compliant engine control modules allowing speeds over the 100km/h limit and issued 35 defect notices for defective lights, tyres and brakes.

One vehicle was de-registered for a major defect.

NSW Traffic and Highway Patrol commander, Assistant Commissioner John Hartley, said similar operations will continue to ensure compliance across the industry.

“Operators, companies, and distributors should expect us to carry out these operations regularly and the community should expect that unsafe practices will be stopped and offending trucks taken off the roads,’ Assistant Commissioner Hartley said.

RMS general manager of compliance operations Paul Endycott said the company has a duty to ensure its heavy vehicles and its sub contractor’s fleet is compliant with road transport laws and meets all checks and balances.

“RMS will now meet with the company’s executives to discuss the disappointing findings to ensure there is a vast improvement to its compliance standards,” Mr Endycott said.

“NSW continues to lead the way with the toughest and most active heavy vehicle enforcement regime.

“It is only a small number of drivers, operators, and companies that continually do the wrong thing which is why our joint work is important in both ensuring, and enforcing, heavy vehicle compliance on our roads.”

The company was allegedly involved in a recent fatal traffic collision at Brookvale, prompting police to conduct an audit of their Girraween business.

Investigators continue their inquiries into the Friday, May 20 incident that claimed the life of 60-year-old Jo-Ann Thwaites and are appealing for public assistance from anyone who witnessed the incident.

UPDATE – 3.30pm

Chief Inspector Phil Brooks from the NSW Traffic and Highway Patrol Command held a media conference in Sydney about the operations.

“Sadly after the death of a female at Brookvale on Friday, May 20, the Joint Traffic Taskforce again looked at the company involved, inspecting three sites at Newcastle, Tamworth and another at Griffith,” Chief Inspector Brooks said.

“One-hundred-and-thirty-five trucks and trailers have been inspected by officers.

“Throughout the operation 45 defects have been applied to these vehicles, more than half of those were for brakes.

“Officers have also issued 25 infringements for a range of offences and one driver at the Griffith depot has been arrested by police on an outstanding warrant.”

UPDATE – 11.10am

BAIADA has issued a statement following this morning’s early raids.

“Baiada takes responsibility for ensuring that all trucks carrying our goods are safe and roadworthy.

“Baiada considers breaches identified during police compliance operations to be unacceptable.

“Breaches identified are taken very seriously. We will work with police and RMS to rectify them immediately.

“As well as urgently individual breaches identified, Baiada has also launched a program to improve its processes and compliance across all facilities.

“The program is under way and includes:

“Conducting a full review into our operations and procedures in relation to goods transportation.

“Rechecking Baiada’s fleet to ensure that is fully compliant with the required standards across the country.

“Issuing contract breach notices to companies whose trucks are subject to breach findings.

“We have written to the over 200 transport companies Baiada engages with seeking evidence that their fleets are safe and meet all legal requirements.

“Any contractors who do not comply will have their agreement with Baiada terminated.

“We are looking forward to meeting with police and the RMS about these measures and working with them to ensure future heavy vehicle compliance at our sites.”

EARLIER

A truck driver has been arrested at Baiada’s Hanwood plant and five trucks have been issued defects as police conduct a safety operation at three of the company’s sites across the state.

The safety operation is believed to be connected with a fatal collision in Sydney in May.

Just before 10am Traffic and Highway Patrol Command Chief Inspector Phil Brooks confirmed they were also conducting an operation in Newcastle and Tamworth.

“We’ve inspected 22 trucks and trailers so far,” Chief Inspector Brooks said.

“We’ve done engine control module downloads on 10 trucks and found one truck to be non-compliant.

“Five trucks have been issued defect notices and a driver is in custody wanted on a bench warrant.”

Three trucks were queued up before the weighbridge on Wednesday morning and five police officers appeared to be inspecting a truck’s interior and tyres. The two other trucks were filled with crates of live chickens.

A police car parked outside the gates, one of four visible, had its lights flashing and the sign between them read “heavy vehicle check”.

The boot of the police car was open and appeared to contain some kind of electronic equipment.

Cars were continuing to go in and out of the plant but trucks were stopped and lined up

The distribution company was allegedly involved in a fatal collision with a pedestrian on Friday, May 20 at Brookvale in northern Sydney.

Lilydale Chickens driver Emmanuel Xiberras, who was doing deliveries in the area for the poultry company, allegedly hit and killed a grandmother on the northern beaches, fled the scene and threw her clothing in a bin after peeling it off the bottom of his vehicle, police say. 

Acting on information, police attended the company’s Girraween site and conducted an inspection of a further three trucks. Two of these trucks were issued with defect notices.

On Tuesday, May 24, police raided the Baiada headquarters, home to Lilydale Chickens and Steggles, and uncovered widespread safety breaches.

An audit on 23 trucks and 12 trailers found three vehicles with tampered speed limiters and ten minor defects including bald tyres and broken brake lights.

Seven infringement notices were issued for unregistered vehicles, work diary offences and other breaches.

Fairfax Media understands issues with loading practices may factor into the fatal crash.

Mr Xiberras has been charged with failing to stop and render aid after impact causing death and negligent driving. He was granted conditional bail to appear in Manly Local Court on June 15.