Black Spot Funding Stripped

Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox has slammed the Albanese Labor Government for stripping $69 million from the Black Spot Program.

The road safety scheme provides funding towards lifesaving works on identified crash zones which drastically decreases road incidents in hazardous areas.

Mr Willcox said the decision was a demonstration of poor governance and Labor’s disregard for Regional Australia.

“Last year Australia’s road toll reached over 1,190. People are dying on our roads everyday, and if these incidents can be prevented, they should be. Bringing down the national road toll must be a top priority for all sides of politics, but that doesn’t seem to be the case for the Albanese Government,” Mr Willcox said.

“In rural and regional Australia, the Black Spot Program has had an enormous impact. Dangerous intersections in Dawson like Richmond and Holts Road in Glenella will miss out as a result of the Labor Government’s cuts. The previous Coalition Government allocated $1.8 million to this section in April 2022 to improve the safety.

“The fact is, more people die on rural and regional roads than in our major cities. If the treasurer is looking to undergo budget repair, he is looking in the wrong place with road safety funding.

“The Black Spot Program is provided to regional councils to enhance road safety and greater peace of mind for our local communities. Everyone deserves to feel at ease on our roads and return home to their families safely.

“Regional councils have thousands of kilometres of road to maintain, and this federal funding makes a monumental difference to deliver safer roads and intersections.

“I’m calling on Federal Labor to reinstate this funding at the upcoming Budget in March.”