Liberals’ $900m regional road safety plan promises Great Southern highway upgrades, increased passing lanes

Liberal Leader Zak Kirkup has pledged to carry out a $900 million regional road safety blitz over the next four years, including $40m to increase the number of passing lanes on roads such as Albany Highway. The WA Liberal Party’s regional road safety package, unveiled in Albany yesterday, comes just one day after the fifth fatal crash in the Great Southern Police District this year, when a 61-year-old man was killed near Narrogin. Last month, the State Government announced a record $455m investment in a regional road safety program across the next two years, with $250m to be invested this year. The McGowan Government has pledged an additional $14.8m for its Regional Roads Upgrades program as part of its State election campaign. But if elected, Mr Kirkup promised to build on that program by providing an additional $445m in two years. Mr Kirkup said according to the RAC, if the road upgrades were completed over the next four years, instead of the estimated nine years as proposed, it could save more than 2100 people from being killed or injured. Last year, 155 people lost their lives on WA roads, with 60 per cent of fatalities occurring in country areas, according to the RAC. Mr Kirkup said the plan was critical in reducing the “horrific road toll” on country roads. “Only half of this crucial program has been started by the Labor Government,” he said. “The Liberals will fast-track the program to ensure the remaining $445m in upgrades to improve more than 17,000km of regional roads will be completed.” The Liberals would also allocate $40m for more overtaking lanes and $20m to improve roadside amenities for WA truck drivers such as toilets, showers and rest stops. Shadow transport minister Libby Mettam said the Great Southern was a “big part” of the Statewide commitment. “There are a significant number of roads in this area that will receive the safety road upgrades but in addition to that, Albany Highway quite obviously requires additional overtaking lanes,” she said. RAC general manager corporate affairs Will Golsby yesterday welcomed the commitment to reducing the “unacceptable level of road trauma” in regional WA every year. “If delivered in full, the program will see lifesaving road upgrades, such as rumble strips and widened road shoulders, rolled out across 17,000km of roads throughout regional WA — preventing thousands of serious and fatal crashes,” he said. Albany Liberal candidate Scott Leary said additional overtaking lanes could significantly reduce crashes, particularly on Albany Highway and South Coast Highway. He said 217 people were killed or seriously injured on Great Southern roads from 2015-2019. “We all deserve the right to arrive at our destination safely and I think this initiative will allow us better travel, open us up to tourism and increase what we have available to us,” he said. Transport Minister Rita Saffioti yesterday denied the accusation that Labor was underspending on regional safety. “We're actually spending $3.2 billion on regional roads over the next four years, because together with that program (the $455 million for regional road safety), we're also spending significant funding on a number of road projects that have also improved safety, like the Bunbury Outer Ring Toad and the Albany Ring Road,” she said.