The road funding elements announced in the Rudd Government’s latest economic stimulus package are a welcome boost to safety and maintenance spending.
The $150m boost to spending on backlog maintenance on the national highway network is particularly important - not just in terms of the works it will deliver in the short term, but in the message it sends that this Government understands we need to get serious about road maintenance.
The road maintenance task across Australia, particularly in regional areas, is huge and we cannot afford to fall further behind.
Having a well-maintained, fit-for-purpose road network is crucial to maximizing the efficient utlisation of what is Australia’s most valuable infrastructure asset.
The maintenance task, particularly in the public’s mind, is all too often overshadowed by the debate about new road infrastructure. We need to refocus their attention on this pressing challenge.
To that end, we welcome the latest funding boost and urge the Government to continue to step up investment in road maintenance across the network.
Submitted by Mark Bowmer on Monday February 9th 2009 2:30pm