General News
22 August, 2024
Tehan calls for greater federal road funding
WANNON MP Dan Tehan has called on the Federal Government to do more to improve road safety as the “continuously unacceptable road toll” rises.
Mr Tehan said recently released figures from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts shows for the 12 months to the end of June there was 1310 deaths on Australian roads, representing a 11.7 per cent increase on the previous corresponding period.
He said monthly figures showed National Road Safety Strategy targets were falling short, with Victoria experiencing a nine per cent increase in road deaths over the 12 months to June 30.
Mr Tehan said the government was failing the community on road safety.
“The Albanese Government needs to lift its game when it comes to road safety,” he said.
“The unfortunate reality for far too many families is that the road toll has been rising steadily for the past two years while the Albanese Government has cut funding from road infrastructure programs and failed to deliver the road trauma data sharing outcomes promised.
“Labor’s failure to facilitate the timely, consistent and open reporting of national road safety data after almost two years in government is preventing Australia from quantifying its road safety problem, developing evidence-based responses or evaluating their effectiveness.”
Mr Tehan said road safety was being made more difficult by the government’s decision to cancel, cut, and delay more than $27.9 billion in infrastructure funding over its first two years in government.
“Roads throughout Wannon aren’t receiving the maintenance and upgrades they need, and the impacts of Federal Government funding cuts are being felt by road users firsthand, who have been raising road safety concerns with my office,” he said.
Mr Tehan urged road users in Wannon to help shine a light on the deteriorating conditions of local roads by taking part in a national road survey, which was launched by the Coalition last month.
Residents can nominate a road, intersection or bridge in need of investment through the survey, which is available at https://www.research.net/r/2HRHBV9 until the end of August.