The government is committing $33 billion over four years to infrastructure funding programs
Following recent debates about how to make Australia’s roads safer, the Federal government has responded by pledging to fund national safer road projects.
The Federal government is committing $33 billion over the next four years to improve road safety and help Australians travel safer, with a $65.3 million funding boost for a new heavy vehicle rest areas program included.
This program is expected to provide more vehicle rest areas on regional and rural roads while also improving current heavy vehicles rest areas that already exist.
Under these infrastructure plans, the Federal government will also invest a total of $150 million in 33 projects under the remote roads upgrade pilot program, which will ensure more unsealed and neglected rural roads are made safer for freight operators.
The project includes resurfacing and removing dangerous corners to make freight corridors smoother and more efficient for operators, while a further $120 billion into a 10-year infrastructure investment program includes investing in these regional roads.
“Our government believes regional Australians deserve the same standard of living and opportunities as people living in capital cities,” deputy PM Barnaby Joyce says.
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“Improving remote roads will keep motorists safe and freight moving, ensuring regional businesses can continue to get their products to ports quickly and safely.”
Other projects to be funded by the Federal government include a new $180.1 million regional Australia level crossing safety program and other road safety awareness programs.
The funding injection includes further boosts to the black spots program, the roads of strategic importance initiative and the $3 billion road safety program.
The Federal government says it will continue to deliver these projects in regional areas, where the road fatality rate is disproportionately 10 deaths per 100,000 people, compared to two deaths per 100,000 people in metropolitan areas.