VTA welcomes more than $1 billion for road repair funding

The Victorian Transport Association (VTA) has welcomed a significant increase in funding for two road infrastructure programs.  

Federal transport and infrastructure minister Catherine King announced Roads to Recovery funding will double from $500 million to $1 billion over time. 

The program supports the construction and maintenance of local road infrastructure assets, andprovides funding to all local governments, and to state and territory governments in unincorporated areas.  

King also announced a $40 million increase in Black Spot funding, totalling $150 million per year. 

Black Spot projects target road locations with high risk of vehicle incidents. By funding measures such as traffic signals and roundabouts at dangerous locations, the program reduces the risk of crashes. 

"The Black Spots program has saved countless lives and the additional investment the Commonwealth has announced can only help to prevent needless tragedy and loss of life on our regional transport networks," VTA CEO Peter Anderson says.  

As part of the funding announcements, the government will merge the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program (HVSPP) and the Bridges Renewal Program (BRP) into a new Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program, which it says will reduce administrative burdens on councils, freeing up their funds for new road safety projects.  

Funding for the new program will also gradually increase to $200 million per year, up from the current $150 million annual investment.  

"We’re grateful for what is a very substantial reinvestment in our regional roads and bridges nationally, many of which are in varying states of disrepair after fire and flood, and through general wear and tear," Anderson says.  

"The transport industry has a natural interest in working with local, state and federal governments to make the roads safer for all motorists through a combination of driver training and infrastructure repairs and maintenance. The new funding will go a long way towards ensuring our roads are as safe as possible and is a positive road safety outcome for regional Australia." 

Since floods last year washed away significant parts of Victoria’s regional transportation network, the VTA had been consistently calling for additional federal and state funding.  

"The McIvor, Melba and Midland Highways have yet to fully recover from the floods so we would hope some of this funding can be directed to their full reinstatement, which is necessary for a safe and reliable regional Victorian freight network," he says.