No. 60

IMPROVING ROADS AND ROAD SAFETY

The Stanhope Government has committed $34.4 million toward improvements to road safety and maintenance in the Territory over the next four years.

Minister for the Territory and Municipal Services John Hargreaves said a massive injection of $20 million would be provided over the next four years to expand the Territory’s existing annual maintenance program for the road network.

“Maintaining safe and efficient road networks for the community is of vital importance and the Stanhope Government has provided a major boost to the current road maintenance program,” Mr Hargreaves said.

“The Budget also commits $600,000 in both 2006-07 and 2007-08 for the continuing removal of a number of unsafe burnt and drought affected trees adjacent to rural roads, reducing the risk to motorists using our rural road network.  

“The Government will inject a further $1.35m in 2006-07 into road safety improvements on the Monaro Highway.  It is important to ensure this popular commuting and holiday route remains safe, especially considering the large amount of snow traffic that uses it during the winter months.

“The upgrading of Lanyon Drive will also commence with $5 million over two years sourced from the Roads to Recovery program.

“$4.2 million has also been committed for the construction of the Harrison School access road and Mapleton Avenue extension in Harrison – the Construction of the access roads will precede that of the school and provide access for the construction of the future high school and primary school. The roads will meet future access needs to both the schools and oval.”

Mr Hargreaves said this significant road maintenance and safety package is in addition to the large works program currently being undertaken by the Government, such as the Gungahlin Drive Extension. 

The Government is also taking steps to address traffic issues around the airport, inviting local, NSW and Commonwealth representatives to attend a roundtable conference later this month to discuss issues surrounding traffic congestion and possible future road upgrades.

“The Stanhope Government has also committed $3.55 million to the continuation of the Neighbourhood Improvements and Roads and Bridges programs,” he said.

“These funds will see the provision of new street lights, residential street improvements, road barriers, traffic safety measures at schools, traffic calming measures, bridge strengthening, road pavement rehabilitation and local area traffic management solutions such as the installation of speed humps and pedestrian crossings.”

Mr Hargreaves also announced the expansion of the fixed and mobile speed camera program in order to improve road safety.

“This Budget reinforces the Government’s commitment to safe and responsible driving through the expansion of the fixed and mobile speed camera program.  This initiative will see the installation of two new mobile speed cameras, two fixed red light/speed cameras at intersections with a demonstrated history of road crashes and speeding offences, and four fixed speed cameras located at mid block sections of arterial roads which also have a history of crashes or high speeding offences,” he said

“The Budget commits nearly $2 million in 2006-07 to purchase and install the new cameras, and $2.4 million over the next four years to operate them.

“Speed combined with driver inattention is one of the biggest killers of drivers on Australian roads, and the use of speed cameras has been shown to positively modify the behaviour of speeding drivers.”