The Coalition commits new funds for key local roads
1st November, 2007
Local roads will receive significant funding boosts under a re-elected Coalition Government, Federal Member for Wide Bay, Warren Truss, said today.Mr Truss said the Coalition’s 2020 Plan for Local Roads includes a new $300 million program for development roads and a boost for existing road programs.
“Local roads in Wide Bay have benefited significantly from the AusLink Black Spot program, Roads to Recovery, and Local Government road funding programs,” Mr Truss said.
“The Coalition has an integrated vision for improving local roads and national highways. Our local roads plan commits more funding to the roads in Wide Bay that mums and dads, small business people, farmers and truck drivers use every day.
“Our new plan includes a new Development Roads program of $300 million over six years to improve critically-important roads in regional Australia and an extra $550 million over six years for the existing Strategic Regional program.”
Mr Truss said that for too long, the State Labor Government has ignored regional Queensland’s economic future by failing to invest in key roads vital to the future of sugar, mining, beef, forestry and other industries. For the Bligh Government, it has been a case of out of sight, out of mind when it comes to Wide Bay.
Mr Truss said in addition to the new $300 million Development Roads program, a re-elected Coalition will:
• Inject a further $550 million to the Strategic Regional program taking it to $850 million over six years;
• Continue the highly-successful Roads to Recovery program which delivers funding directly to local communities - increasing funding each year to $350 million from 2009-10;
• Save more lives and prevent accidents through the Black Spots program which will increase from $45 million to $60 million per year from 2009-10;
• Continue to provide Untied Local Road Grants directly to local councils for use on their road networks; and
• Provide direct project-specific funding to key state and local roads that are not on the AusLink National Network.
“The Coalition understands that the state of local roads is a key issue for the people of Wide Bay and we are acting to improve them.
“Our plan invests in a strategic and targeted manner in order to ensure a safe and efficient transport network to move families from home to work and goods from producers to consumers,” Mr Truss said.
ENDS
