Local governments across South Australia can now apply for funding to support local road projects with applications to the next round of the Special Local Roads Program now open.
In a statement, the Local Government Association of South Australia (LGASA) said the new funding round would allow councils to construct new strategic roads and undertake maintenance to improve significantly important local roads in their communities.
LGA President and City of Charles Sturt Mayor, Angela Evans (pictured) said funding would allow local governments to deliver projects that would otherwise exceed an individual council’s capacity.
“This program is vital for South Australian councils, enabling them to construct and maintain significant and strategic local roads, including sealed or unsealed roads and bridges – which supports economic and business growth and local jobs,” she said.
“The program aims to prioritise construction and maintenance of strategic and significant local roads, where benefits go beyond the boundary of the council and its community.
“Year-on-year this program has proven highly successful and is often oversubscribed – last year’s funding saw over $15 million provided to twenty-six projects supporting a range of strategic outcomes, like freight and supply chain access, tourism routes and safety improvements.
“Funding delivered through the Special Local Roads Program has been vital to help communities thrive and I’m looking forward to seeing the projects from this new round.”
District Council of Yankalilla Mayor, Simon Rothwell said funding of $753,300 from the 2021-22 round of the program for Forktree Road in Myponga was a major boost for the project.
“Forktree Road is a significant regional route for tourism and the community and funding from the Special Local Roads Program allowed us to address high risk safety items and seal 1.8 km of existing unsealed road, which has been a long-anticipated project for our community,” Mayor Rothwell said.
“With the opening of the Myponga Reservoir and anticipated tourist and visitor traffic, this upgrade was necessary to provide a safer access route and to support future tourism growth around the Myponga Reservoir ring route as well as benefiting the traffic heading through to Carrickalinga, Normanville and further South.”
Applications to the 2022-23 round of the program are now open and will close on 20 May 2022. Assessment of projects is conducted through an independent Local Government Transport Advisory Panel with input from regional local government associations and the metropolitan local government group.
All South Australian councils are eligible to apply.
For more information can be found at: www.lga.sa.gov.au/special-local-roads and https://www.agd.sa.gov.au/local-government/grants-commission/road-funding
