WA's biggest regional road safety initiative has funding secured

The Western Australian Government has secured a funding partnership with the Federal Government to add to the Regional Road Safety Improvement Program.

Premier Mark McGowan wrote to the Prime Minister, the WA Transport Minister raised the issue at national meetings and State Members of Parliament wrote to their Federal counterparts to draw attention to the program and call for funding.

Now the Federal Government will commit $80 million to the program in 2020-21, with the WA Government contributing $20 million.

Regional Road Safety Program works will be delivered as 2020-21 begins. It will see around 1400 kilometres of roads treated with processes such as shoulder sealing and audible edge lines.

Modelling undertaken on roads using these safety treatments shows the strategies could reduce road trauma in regional WA by 60 per cent.

The state government will continue to campaign for the Federal Government to allocate funding for an additional eight years of the program. If funded for eight years the program would see more than 17,400 kilometres of regional road upgraded with low cost treatments.

These works are expected to provide an economic boost to communities with shovel-ready projects creating job opportunities.

Premier Mark McGowan said we have strongly advocated for a funding partnership for this important work and I am pleased we have negotiated an $80 million commitment from the Federal Government for this program.

“This is potentially the beginning of an important long term program for regional road safety,” Mr. McGowan said.

“Now, more than ever, it is vital that we continue to support job-creating projects in our regions as we recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19.”

Road Safety Minister Michelle Roberts said each year the state government spends a significant portion of the Road Trauma Trust Account on regional road safety improvements, like the ones this program supports.

“So far this year, out of the more than 60 deaths in the State, roughly 60 per cent of those have been in regional and remote areas. This highlights the nature of the problem which this program will help address,” Ms. Roberts said.

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