Record investment announced for WA roads

The Western Australian Government has signed a new agreement with the WA Local Government Association which will deliver a record $1.38 billion investment in local road projects.

The five-year State Road Funds to Local Government Agreement with the WA Local Government Association will increase the estimated investment by $353 million compared to the previous agreement and will deliver close to $253 million for local roads this financial year.

The agreement guarantees councils 20 per cent of the revenue collected from the State’s vehicle licence fee collections to be allocated to local roads.

As part of the agreement, project commitments will focus particularly on road safety objectives, increasing Aboriginal employment and improving/increasing the use of recycled materials in road construction.

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The local government-managed programs will receive 67 per cent of annual funding in direct grants, road project grants, State Black Spot allocations and remote Aboriginal access roads.

The remaining 33 per cent of funding goes to Main Roads managed programs, which include State initiatives on local roads, bridgeworks and bridge inspections, and traffic management, signs and pavement markings.

Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said the agreement would ensure that the state’s road network would be maintained and upgraded over time.

“This agreement will ensure we continue to maintain and improve Western Australia’s road network with a record amount of funding for local roads,” Saffioti said.

“The agreement also brings a renewed focus to access roads for remote Aboriginal communities with $2.5 million allocated this financial year and further investments in the years ahead.”

See below for a full breakdown of the funding per region: