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WA returns all road maintenance work to Main Roads

The final phase of the transition saw road maintenance works transition to Main Roads in the Kimberley Region last month, with road maintenance expected to be more efficient moving forward
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The Western Australian government has announced that the final phase of its move to transition all road maintenance works in-house to Main Roads WA has been completed.

Now, 18 new staff in the Kimberley Region have been moved into Main Roads positions, allowing for the delivery of road maintenance and some minor capital works to no longer be contracted out.

The new model was first announced in April 2022, with more than 550 new positions within Main Roads being created since to support regional jobs and improve road maintenance outcomes.

The move to in-house delivery of road maintenance has been rolled out to all seven regional Main Roads offices, as well as the metropolitan area, with Incident Response Services also included in the switch.

The WA government says more than 420 of these in-house jobs have been filled by employees previously working for contractors, with the government saying that many of these workers now receive better pay and conditions while receiving permanent jobs with Main Roads.

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“Creating more jobs for Western Australians is one of our government’s top priorities, and bringing road maintenance functions back in-house at Main Roads is one way we are delivering that,” WA transport minister Rita Saffioti says.

“Road maintenance work was outsourced by the Liberals and Nationals several decades ago, but the in-house delivery model has created hundreds of well-paid local jobs in regional communities across our state.

“Returning road maintenance in-house means better response times when maintenance and repair works are required, as we have the crews ready to respond.

“It has been very rewarding to see the transition process over the past two years, and to see how the change is delivering better outcomes for workers and regional economies.”

While the initiative supports more jobs in regional communities, it’s also helping improve the cost, efficiency and responsiveness of maintenance and minor capital works across the state’s road network.

The WA government has supported the initiative, with $48.8 million having been invested in new or expanded existing offices and maintenance depots in Manjimup, Broome, Karratha, Esperance, Neerabup, Jandakot and Welshpool.

“It’s absolutely fantastic to see road maintenance returning to Main Roads in the Kimberley Region,” local Kimberley MLA Divina D’Anna says.

“We know firsthand how much the road network in the Kimberley can be impacted by severe weather. Having maintenance crews based here with Main Roads means that when urgent road works are required, the response will be quicker.

“Returning road maintenance is a big win for our local economy as it means more well-paid jobs being retained in our communities for the long-term.”

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