The NFF says this increased funding will provide key resources to maintain local roads
The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) has welcomed a significant increase in funding for the Roads to Recovery program.
Federal transport and infrastructure minister Catherine King announced Roads to Recovery funding will double from $500 million to $1 billion over the next four years.
The program supports the construction and maintenance of local road infrastructure assets and provides funding to all local governments and to state and territory governments in unincorporated areas.
NFF president David Jochinke says this increased funding would provide key resources to local government to maintain local road networks.
“Flooding in 2021 and 2022 significantly deteriorated critical road infrastructure across Australia and the systemic underfunding of the regional road network has slowed road repairs,” Jochinke says.
“Local roads make up about 85 per cent of the nation’s road network but they just have not been given the attention they deserve.”
The funding announcement comes after a Grattan Institute survey found the nation’s local road network are in a dangerous state of disrepair and called for an extra $1 billion a year to fix and maintain them.
Jochinke says the poor state of local roads has been a handbrake on productivity, holding back regional development and undermining safety and welfare for all road users.
“Not only do poor roads impede overall freight efficiency and slow the movement of freight, but they also restrict high-productivity freight vehicles accessing ‘first and last mile’ roads essential for getting agricultural products from farm to market,” Jochinke says.
“Many rural councils are at breaking point with large road networks to manage and low populations.
“The average cost of maintaining a kilometre of local government road in metropolitan councils is typically shared between 175 people, while in rural and remote council areas the cost is shared between less than five people.
“The NFF thanks Minister King for her commitment to improving regional infrastructure though this new funding and we look forward to working with the government to improve regional roads.”
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.