WA councils to share $33.9m for road safety projects

A second tranche of 24 road safety projects have been approved to receive funding under the WA Government’s landmark Regional Road Safety Program (RRSP) following its expansion to local government roads.

The Government has confirmed it will invest a further $33.9 million to upgrade an additional 430 kilometres of local roads, including across the Wheatbelt and South West. 

The expansion was backed by a $125 million investment over five years, with the government continuing to seek matching funding from the Federal Government for the program.

Works will predominantly be delivered by local governments and include the sealing of road shoulders and the installation of audible edge and centre lines to reduce the risk of run-off or head-on collisions.

“Local governments play a critical role in maintaining our State’s vast road network, which is why we’re delivering $125 million over five years to help them deliver vital safety upgrades,” said Transport Minister, Rita Saffioti.

“With work already underway on the first tranche of local government road projects, this additional funding will help even more councils deliver cost effective road treatments that make a life-saving difference.

“We’re proud of the significant investment made through our landmark Regional Road Safety Program which has made thousands of kilometres of regional roads safer.

“We know this investment is making an impact, with research showing a significant reduction in fatalities and serious crashes on roads upgraded under the program.”

Tranche 1 of the expansion to local roads allocated more than $39 million across 27 projects to upgrade 428 kilometres of regional roads, with works currently underway across the State.

The RRSP was established in 2020 to address run-off and head-on road crashes, one of the leading causes of serious injuries and fatalities on regional roads.

WALGA President, Mark Irwin said road safety was a shared priority for all levels of government.

“Consistent with State and Federal road safety strategies, local governments across Western Australia are committed to improving safety outcomes across the network,” he said.

“WALGA acknowledges the State Government Transport portfolio’s critical partnership with local governments, particularly through the State Road Funds to Local Government Agreement and recognises this collaborative approach to road safety.

“The second tranche of the Regional Road Safety Program will see upgrades to more than 20 road projects, spread across 15 local governments over 430 kilometres of the local government road network.”

Since the RRSP was launched, around $1 billion has been invested to upgrade 10,000 kilometres of the regional road network with cost effective treatments such as sealed shoulders and audible edge and centre lines.

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