Minister announces new road safety funding at Summit

Federal Minister Kristy McBain MP has announced additional investment to increase road safety at the Transforming Transport Summit today.
In her opening address, Minister McBain said the Federal Government wanted all road users to return home safely from every trip.
This means investigating road accidents more deeply, drawing on expert advice, national data, and emerging technology, she said.
“Because safety must come first. We want every day road user to come home safely from every trip,” Minister McBain said.
“More research means better decisions.”
On local roads, she said the Government has doubled the Road to Recovery fund to $4.4 billion over the next funding period. All 537 councils across Australia receive automatic allocations.
Councils already stretched after years of natural disasters can now effectively double their own maintenance, she said.

Beyond road safety, Minister McBain also addressed road user charging and said the debate is boiling down to two options: a fixed fee on registration or a per-km charge.
“It’s incumbent on governments to get it right,” she said. “Rushing to a decision might not lead to the outcome we need – particularly for regional road users.”