As part of a massive new financial commitment, the Federal Government has begun working with local councils and state and territory jurisdictions to identify unsealed roads which are in urgent need of an upgrade.
The $150 million Remote Roads Upgrade Pilot Program will be targeted at ‘neglected’ roads in order to improve safety for rural and regional drivers.
The program will offer councils between 80% and 100% of funding to upgrade unsealed roads and improve safety with works including resurfacing, removing dangerous corners and managing vegetation.
Deputy Prime Minister, Barnaby Joyce, said many of these roads haven’t been upgraded since the Great Depression.
“This is not about sealing roads; it is about making them safer,” he said. “We recognise the costs of upgrading rural and regional roads are often prohibitive for local governments.”
The guidelines for the new program will be released by the end of the year to target unsealed roads more than 20 kilometres long.
The road toll in regional communities is reportedly more than four times greater than in the major cities.
The Government says there are 2.2 deaths per 100,000 people in the major cities; 10 deaths per 100,000 in regional areas; and 25.1 deaths per 100,000 in remote areas.
“Our regional towns are the lifeblood of our nation, and every Australian deserves safe and efficient roads regardless of where they live,” Mr Joyce said. “It is critical we ensure everyone has equitable access to local community centres including schools and medical care and that citizens are not cut off from their local townships due to the condition of roads.”
Wary Gate to Noccundra, link Vic, NSW, SA to Qld with a safe and direct route !
Moonie hwy from dalby thrue to the surat development road via Tara, gums ,meandarra,Glen Morgan, surat.
The Savannah Way from Hell’s Gate to Borroloola
Tooraweenah Rd from Mendooran to Tooraweenah, NSW
$150 million? Hang on, they allocated $300 million for ‘car parks’ in the cities in the leadup to the 2019 election. The country areas are being shortchanged again…
And small local Councils will make porpoising bouncy mess of it all because they haven’t got competent equipment to or the skills to do it properly. there should be a State authority that moves area to area with competent people and equipment to do these jobs properly. Any disagree, I’ll post some outback roads that fall into this boing-boing category that have been constructed by bobcats instead of heavy equipment and are breaking up particularly at the edges very soon after “completion”. Stop the pork barrelling and do it once and right.
I don’t know about other States but Far Northern and Western QLD Local Governments are generally geared to handle these types of jobs and do them on a regular basis funding permitted.
The Fed’s are looking to roll out the pork barrel in order to try to secure rural seats.
The barrel should have at least a billion dollars in it for the work that’s required.
$150 million won’t go far. A roundabout was recently built north of Gympie for $17 million.