Federal Government commits $300M to NSW road safety

Under the national Road Safety Program the Federal and NSW Governments have allocated a joint $400 million towards road safety projects in NSW.

The Federal Government has committed $300 million to the initiative under ‘use it or lose it’ provisions which require States and Territories to use their notionally allocated funds within a timeframe, or the funds can be reallocated to projects in other jurisdictions.

Both governments share the vision of zero road deaths or serious injuries and this funding will be a step towards this goal.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said the Australian and NSW Governments were working tirelessly to ensure works start immediately and are completed by June to get people home sooner and safer.

“As someone who proudly lives, works and has raised a family in regional NSW, I know just how important safe, efficient road connections are to local communities,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

“That’s why we are rolling out this funding to deliver lifesaving upgrades including shoulder sealing, rumble strips to alert drivers when they are moving out of their lane, median upgrades to prevent head-on collisions and barriers to prevent run-off-road crashes and protect against roadside hazards.”

These projects are also expected to support more than 2500 direct and indirect jobs through construction.

NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole said safety barriers, rumble strips and wide centrelines were among the measures being rolled out under the program designed to save lives.

“As part of this investment, 261 priority projects will be delivered across NSW – 150 of these on regional roads, building on our vision of a safer, stronger regional NSW,” Toole said.

“These projects will help prevent the loss of more than 538 lives and serious injuries on our roads over the project life – that’s the difference between 538 people making it home safely to their families at the end of the day.”

In total, the Australian Government has committed up to $300 million and the NSW Government a further $108.2 million to fund the state-wide upgrades under tranche one.