JMR WITH DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER McCORMACK AND ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR ROAD SAFETY BUCHHOLZ
New road safety upgrades and improvements will be delivered across the Geelong, Ballarat, Bacchus Marsh and Apollo Bay regions, as well as western Melbourne, thanks to funding from the Australian and Victorian governments.
Senator for Victoria Sarah Henderson said the timing couldn’t be better for funding to flow for crucial road safety improvements in the Ballarat, Corangamite, Corio and Gorton electorates.
“This vital funding is not only providing a much-needed boost to local jobs and the economy, it is delivering life-saving upgrades to ensure road users stay safe on our roads,” Senator Henderson said.
“I am pleased that the following projects, which will deliver road new safety upgrades and improvements to help reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries occurring on our roads, will be funded under this program:
Ballarat electorate will receive $42.68 million for the following road safety upgrades:
• $201,600 for road-safety upgrades and cycling infrastructure works on the Bungaree-Creswick Road and Creswick-Dean Road, Creswick;
• $630,000 for the Strategic Cycling Corridor project in Bacchus Marsh – Route 3 (Eastern Link);
• $1,260,000.00 for the Strategic Cycling Corridor project in Bacchus Marsh – Route 2 (Aqualink);
• $36,157,867 for the installation of a continuous wire rope safety barrier along the Western Highway from Ballarat to Beauford and;
• $4,432,000 for shoulder sealing and Audio Tactile Line Marking (ATLM) on the Midland Highway from Daylesford to Guildford (shared project with the Bendigo electorate).
Corangamite electorate will receive $8 million for the following road safety upgrades:
• $504,000 for the Barwon Heads Road & Bluestone School Road Intersection Improvements project;
• $1,008,000 for safety barrier installation on the Geelong-Portarlington Road between Point Henry Road & Moolap Station Road;
• $1,008,000 for road-safety improvements on the Bellarine Highway and at the Queenscliff Intersection.
• $2,520,000 for the Forrest-Apollo Bay Road & Skenes Creek Road Safety Improvement project;
• $2,520,000 for Portarlington-Queenscliff Road safety improvements and;
• $504,000 for road safety upgrades along the Great Ocean Road, west of Apollo Bay (shared project with the Wannon electorate).
Corio electorate will receive $4.69 million for the following road safety upgrades:
• $705,600 for road safety upgrades to the Belmont-Corio Road at Shannon Avenue and Church Street;
• $957,600 for traffic improvement works on Pakington Street at the Hamilton Highway, Newtown-Whittington Road and at the Midland Highway and;
• $3,024,000 for Melbourne Road safety improvements from Cox Road to Broderick Road.
Gorton electorate will receive $1.12 million for the following road safety upgrades:
• $72,100 for road safety signage installation along the Melton Highway at Plumpton;
• $22,660 installation of electronic speed limit signs to improve road safety at Station Road and Tulloch Street, Deer Park (shared project with the Fraser electorate);
• $734,400 for the installation of a continuous safety barrier on Vineyard Road from McDougal Rd to the Calder Freeway (shared project with the McEwen electorate) and;
• $292,400 for signage and pavement marking improvement along Sydney Rd between Barkley Street and Albion Street (shared project with the Melbourne, Wills, Maribyrnong, Fraser and /McEwen electorates).
“The most important thing we can for our community is ensure we all get home safely as even one death or serious injury on our roads is one too many.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said the additional works under the $2 billion Road Safety Program will commence in January 2021 and be completed by mid-2022, improving safety and supporting jobs right across the country.
“This funding will deliver key lifesaving improvements such as shoulder sealing, rumble strips to alert drivers they are moving out of their lane, median works to prevent head-on collisions and barriers to prevent run-off-road crashes and protect against roadside hazards,” Mr McCormack said.
“Road safety is everyone’s responsibility right through all levels of government to all of us who use the road, which is why the Australian Government is investing heavily in road safety upgrades across Australia.”
The Australian Government’s funding for the Road Safety Program is subject to ‘use it or lose it’ provisions and will deliver life-saving works on regional roads and to protect vulnerable road users across regional Victoria, while also supporting local jobs and providing a welcome boost to local economies.
The ‘use it or lose it’ provisions require states and territories to use their notionally allocated funds within a timeframe, or the funds can be reallocated to projects in other jurisdictions.
Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport Scott Buchholz said road safety was a key priority for the Australian Government and this investment in road upgrades would provide a boost to the economy while ensuring Australians can get home sooner and safer.
“Making our roads safer is a critical component of our work to reduce deaths and serious injuries on our roads and move towards achieving vision zero,” Mr Buchholz said.
“Projects are already underway through the $500 million Targeted Road Safety COVID stimulus package and this additional funding complements that work, resulting in an even greater roll out of improved infrastructure and roads right across the nation.”
For more information on the Australian Government’s road safety initiatives, visit www.officeofroadsafety.gov.au.
17 February 2021