The NSW state government has announced the commitment of a further $202 million to deliver safety upgrades to the state’s regional road network in efforts to continue to reduce the impact of road trauma on communities.
The funding has been allocated as part of the second round of the Towards Zero – Safer Roads Program and will support 72 different road safety projects in regional, rural and remote parts of the state.
Rural and regional road deaths account for roughly two thirds of all Australian road deaths, and the announcement comes ahead of the upcoming Australian Rural Road Safety Month.
Minister for regional transport and roads Jenny Aitchison says the projects the funding will support will vary in size and scope.
“With $202 million to target and improve safety on roads in our regional areas, lives will be saved,” Aitchison says.
“These upgrades will make our roads safer for all road users, locals and visitors, and this investment will go a long way towards achieving the goal of ensuring everyone gets home safely every time to their loved ones.
“The projects under this program vary in size, location and cost, but the really important thing they have in common is that they will improve the safety of the people driving on them.”
The Towards Zero – Safer Roads Program is part of the NSW government’s wider $2.8 billion road safety budget, which aims to support the goal of halving deaths and reducing serious road injury by 30 per cent by 2030 as part of the 2026 Road Safety Action Plan.
The first round of the program delivered $41 million in funding to the prioritised planning of 27 projects and completion of a further 11 regional road safety projects.
NSW Premier Chris Minns says it’s up to everyone to ensure roads remain as safe as possible.
“We ask drivers to take every precaution they can to be safe on our roads,” Minns says.
“It’s important the government also does everything we can to make our roads as safe as possible for those travelling on them. Any life lost on our roads is a tragedy.
“Regional NSW is a beautiful place, whether someone is visiting for the weekend or is an engrained member of the community, we want to ensure when they get in their car they know they are safe on our state’s roads.”
Subscribe to the weekly Owner//Driver newsletter here.