Casey has been selected by the State Government to receive funding to develop, design and plan road safety improvements along council-managed roads, intersections and precincts.
Casey is one of 11 local governments to take part in the first stage of the Labor Government’s $210 million Safe Local Roads and Streets Program.
City of Casey Chair of Administrators Noelene Duff PSM welcomed the announcement.
“Our city’s big population needs big investment, and we know that improvements to our road network and road safety are very important to our community,” she said.
“We commend the State Government for recognising and supporting the critical role councils play in identifying and delivering road safety improvements, and we thank the government for this investment in Casey to help keep our growing community safe on local roads.
“We look forward to working with the Department of Transport and Planning and the Transport Accident Commission to plan and deliver these improvements over the coming years and to achieve the best outcomes for our community.”
Others chosen to take part across metropolitan Melbourne are Brimbank, Monash, Yarra and Melton, and in regional Victoria – Moira, Baw Baw, Central Goldfields, Greater Bendigo, Murrindindi and Surf Coast.
The councils will work closely with the Department of Transport and Planning and Transport Accident Commission over four-years to identify, plan, develop and deliver more road safety upgrades on local roads across Victoria.
“Our Safe Local Roads and Streets Program is fostering new relationships between local governments and the Department of Transport and Planning and Transport Accident Commission, so they have the tools in place to deliver the safety improvements needed to reduce road trauma on local roads,“ Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne said.
Local government authorities own and operate 87 per cent of Victoria’s road network and around 33 per cent of road trauma happens on local council-managed roads each year.
Around 132,000km of Victoria’s road network is made up of local roads, making up 87 per cent.
Of the 179 road fatalities in Victoria this year, 90 have occurred on local roads.
The Andrew’s government said this is why the they are partnering with councils to make roads safer across the state.
“Everyone has a role to play when it comes to road safety, which is why we are working with councils across the state to support them in developing and building important safety upgrades to reduce road trauma and save lives on local roads,“ Head of Road Safety Victoria Marcelo Vidales said.
The $210 million package will design and deliver safety upgrades for communities including raised crossings, intersection upgrades, speed cushions, kerbing upgrades, pedestrian islands, safer speeds, roundabouts and other vital safety improvements.
A Safer Local Roads and Streets reference group will also be established to support the development of the planning framework, investment guidelines, tools and resources that will support local governments.
All Victorian local governments will be progressively introduced to the program from late-2023, based on information from the initial expressions of interest process and councils’ willingness to participate in the program.
The program supports the government’s Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030, which aims to halve road deaths and reduce serious injuries by 2030 and eliminate road deaths by 2050.
