$12.1m boost for rural and regional roads

The heavy vehicle industry has welcomed a $12.1 million Federal Government funding boost, aimed at delivering better assessment of road assets across rural and regional Australia as part of the Strategic Local Government Asset Assessment Project (SLGAAP).

Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport Scott Buchholz said the funding would support efforts to ensure heavy vehicles have safe and reliable access to high-quality road networks as they travel across the country.

“This program is vital for helping road managers better understand their local infrastructure capacity, bringing opportunities for new heavy vehicle networks to move freight efficiently – which will in turn bring significant boosts for local economies,” Assistant Minister Buchholz said.

“As the heavy vehicle industry continues to grow, we must make sure that proper assessment is carried out on our roads, particularly across rural and regional Australia.

“The funding will allow local government road managers to deliver as many as 1000 assessments on local government road assets including bridges, roads and culverts, bringing critical attention to local infrastructure, which will in turn provide industry with the confidence it needs to grow and continue to deliver for Australia.

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“This funding will support a second phase of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) SLGAAP, with an initial first phase having already supported road managers to make informed assessments of more than 200 bridge, road and culvert assets thanks to a grant of $8 million from our Government,” said Buchholz.

Assistant Minister for Local Government Kevin Hogan said the additional funding reflects the Government’s commitment to the safety of regional and rural communities and the industries that rely on them.

“With this additional funding commitment, we can provide greater support to local governments and assist them with their infrastructure assessment needs,” Assistant Minister Hogan said.

“The work of local governments is essential for maintaining local road infrastructure, and the Australian Government is committed to our shared goal of creating safer and more efficient road networks for all.”

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto welcomed the additional funding, noting the tangible value already provided by the SLGAAP.

“This funding builds on the critical work already rolling out across our regions, supporting industry and making our communities safer,” Mr Petroccitto said.

The NHVR and road managers are currently working through the delivery and assessment of phase two of SLGAAP and are calling on local governments to submit any assets that may be eligible for assessment.