100 road maintenance workers have joined Main Roads Western Australia as part of a state-wide transition to road maintenance functions back to within the public service.
The latest group of workers to join Main Roads will service the Great Southern and South West regions. Road maintenance functions have gradually been moved in-house since late 2022.
A total of 39 road maintenance staff will be joining Main Roads in the Great Southern, while 61 will be joining in the South West, where road maintenance will also be strengthened by the establishment of a new Main Roads office in Manjimup.
The Manjimup Office will accommodate 20 new staff, and assist with increased road network management responsibilities.
The addition of 100 staff across the Great Southern and South West takes the total number of staff joining Main Roads since the start of the transition to more than 350.
A total of six regions plus the metropolitan area have now been successfully transitioned across the State. Main Roads Metropolitan Incident Response services will be the next to come onboard in mid-February, with the final changeover in the Kimberley taking place in November 2024.
WA Minister for Transport Rita Saffioti welcomed the reforms, highlighting the aim of creating enhanced working conditions for workers.
“The return of road maintenance back to Main Roads has been a key priority for our Government,” Minister Saffioti said.
“It’s very rewarding to see the ongoing progress, and to welcome these new employees to Main Roads across our Great Southern and South West regions.
“The transition process is going to deliver better outcomes for workers, regional economies, and our road network – meaning more local jobs, and road maintenance crews that are better placed to respond to issues when we need them.
“I’m also really happy to see the new Manjimup Office coming together – establishing this new office will provide a long-term regional employment opportunity for the South-West, and a new local interface for Main Roads customers.”
