Roads Australia has welcomed the Australian Government’s announcement of an additional $7.2 billion to improve safety on Queensland’s Bruce Highway but warned that continual investment in Australia’s land transport network is needed to avoid putting communities at risk in the future.
Roads Australia CEO Ehssan Veiszadeh said: “Last year was the deadliest year on Queensland’s roads in 15 years, due in large part to the high fatal crash rate on the 1,673km Bruce Highway.
“We commend the Australian Government for responding to the urgent need to address safety risks on the Bruce Highway with a targeted investment program, focused on community outcomes and safety improvements that can be delivered efficiently to deliver significant benefits.
“Roads Australia looks forward to supporting Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads and our members as they deliver this vital program of works, particularly the Tier-2 and Tier-3 contractors who will be key in installing these new safety measures,” said Mr Veiszadeh.
Roads Australia has called on Australia’s governments to continue investing in maintaining and upgrading the national land transport network, to lift the quality of roads nationwide.
“Road safety should be at the top of Australia’s policy agenda,” said Mr Veiszadeh.
“Nationally, there were more than 1,300 road deaths in 2024, an increase of 6.1% compared to the year before. We need to remain focused on infrastructure upgrades, safer infrastructure design and community education if we are going to reverse that number.
“According to Infrastructure Australia, the national investment pipeline for transport has declined by 10 per cent in the past 12 months, representing a $32 billion reduction on the previous year’s outlook.
“With a growing population and freight task, an increasing number of climate-induced natural disasters and a rising maintenance backlog, there is an urgent need to continue investing in Australia’s vital transport connections,” Mr Veiszadeh.