$33.9m commitment to WA local government roads safety

The WA Local Government Association (WALGA) has commended the State Government’s commitment of $33.9 million towards Local Government roads as part of the Regional Road Safety Program.

The second tranche of funding will see upgrades to more than 20 road projects, spread across 15 Local Governments over 430 kilometres of the Local Government road network. Projects include low-cost road safety treatments, aimed at reducing the risk of serious injuries on regional Local Government roads.   

Works will predominantly be delivered by local governments and include the sealing of road shoulders and the installation of audible edge and centre lines to reduce the risk of run-off or head-on collisions.

WALGA President, Mark Irwin said road safety was a shared priority for all levels of government.

“Consistent with State and Federal road safety strategies, local governments across Western Australia are committed to improving safety outcomes across the network,” he said.

“WALGA acknowledges the State Government Transport portfolio’s critical partnership with local governments, particularly through the State Road Funds to Local Government Agreement and recognises this collaborative approach to road safety.”

WA Transport Minister, Rita Saffioti said the additional funding will help even more councils deliver cost effective road treatments that make a life-saving difference.

“We’re proud of the significant investment made through our landmark Regional Road Safety Program which has made thousands of kilometres of regional roads safer,” she said.

“We know this investment is making an impact, with research showing a significant reduction in fatalities and serious crashes on roads upgraded under the program.”

Tranche 1 of the expansion to local roads allocated more than $39 million across 27 projects to upgrade 428 kilometres of regional roads, with works currently underway across the State.

The RRSP was established in 2020 to address run-off and head-on road crashes, one of the leading causes of serious injuries and fatalities on regional roads.

Since the RRSP was launched, around $1 billion has been invested to upgrade 10,000 kilometres of the regional road network with cost effective treatments such as sealed shoulders and audible edge and centre lines.

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