The Western Australian Government has entered into a new agreement with the WA Local Government Association, marking a historic $1.38 billion investment in local road projects. Under the five-year State Road Funds to Local Government Agreement with the WA Local Government Association, the estimated investment has been increased by $353 million compared to the previous agreement. This financial year alone, nearly $253 million will be allocated to local roads.
This agreement guarantees that local councils will receive 20 percent of the revenue collected from the State’s vehicle licence fee collections, which will be dedicated to local roads. As part of this commitment, the focus will be on road safety initiatives, boosting Aboriginal employment opportunities, and promoting the use of recycled materials in road construction.
Under this arrangement, local government-managed programs will receive 67 percent of annual funding, encompassing direct grants, road project grants, State Black Spot allocations, and remote Aboriginal access roads. The remaining 33 percent of funding will be allocated to Main Roads managed programs, covering State initiatives related to local roads, bridge maintenance and inspections, as well as traffic management, signage, and pavement markings.
Transport Minister Rita Saffioti emphasised that this agreement is pivotal in ensuring the ongoing maintenance and improvement of Western Australia’s road network. She added that the record funding allocation for local roads would contribute significantly to these efforts.
Moreover, the agreement emphasises access roads for remote Aboriginal communities, with an allocation of $2.5 million for this fiscal year, and further investments in the coming years.
Please find below a comprehensive breakdown of the funding allocation by region for the fiscal year 2023/24:
- Great Southern: $13.1 million
- Wheatbelt: $35.9 million
- Kimberley: $8.8 million
- Pilbara: $7.4 million
- Mid West/Gascoyne: $22.4 million
- Goldfields-Esperance: $20.8 million
- South West: $30.5 million
- Metropolitan: $92.5 million
Check out https://www.mainroads.wa.gov.au/ for further information
