The Australian Government has announced the allocation of funding for projects in South Australia and Tasmania under the national Black Spot Programme.
$16.5 million has been allocated for 37 Black Spot projects in SA and a further $4.37 million will fund 35 projects in Tasmania.
The funding is part of the $500 million the Australian government has committed to the national Black Spot Programme, which is aimed at improving road safety through targeted upgrades in each state.
“Black Spot projects target dangerous roads to save lives and reduce road trauma, ensuring Australia’s roads are made safer and more productive for all road users,” said Member for Grey and Chair of the South Australian Black Spot Consultative Panel Rowan Ramsey in a joint statement with Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Jamie Briggs.
Mr. Ramsey’s Tasmanian counterpart and Member for Lyons, Eric Hutchinson, also released a statement regarding the allocation of the Black Spot Program funding and its success.
“An evaluation of the Black Spot Programme has found that fatal and casualty crashes are reduced at treated sites by 30%, equaling one life per year for every 84 projects. Projects also return almost $7.00 for every $1 invested by reducing the number and cost of crashes,” Mr. Hutchinson said in the statement.
The Australian Government broadened the eligibility criteria for project applications in 2015–16 and 2016–17 to ensure local communities have greater access to the $200 million in additional funding for road safety upgrades.