Assistant Minister addresses National Local Roads and Transport Congress

Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Carol Brown has addressed the 2022 National Local Roads and Transport Congress, outlining progress on Australian Government policy priorities.

These include progressing an Action Plan to implement the National Road Safety Strategy 2021-30 and delivering the Government’s first Budget last month.

The National Road Safety Strategy 2021-30 was released in December last year and the Albanese Labor Government is committed to implementing it in partnership with states, territories and local government.

The strategy sets out Australia’s road safety objectives, priorities for action, and includes road trauma reduction targets for the decade to 2030.

The Action Plan stalled under the former Government as stakeholders felt there was too little sincere consultation. The Albanese Labor Government has worked hard to get the Action Plan back on track, with the aim to have the Action Plan considered at the December Infrastructure and Transport Ministers Meeting.

Early last month, Assistant Minister Brown also held a roundtable with 16 road safety stakeholders, to discuss road safety priorities, data and the Action Plan.

This Congress – hosted by ALGA – is being held the week after the Federal Budget. This Budget honours the pledges the Government made to voters, while also managing the economy in an uncertain global environment.

The Budget takes an important first step in ensuring the Commonwealth’s infrastructure spending is responsible, affordable and sustainable.

The Government is delivering on its election commitments which takes the total investment in transport infrastructure in all state and territories in this Budget to $55 billion over the forward estimates for new and existing projects.

We will continue to partner with state and territory governments to roll out life-saving projects under the Road Safety Program, with the delivery of total nationwide funding of $3 billion to continue through to mid-2025.

The Government is also committing $26 million towards specific road safety grants over three years from 2022-23, addressing priorities identified in the National Road Safety Strategy and Action Plan.

Importantly,under this Government, infrastructure investment programs will no longer be the lottery that we saw under the previous Government.

Quotes attributable to Federal Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Carol Brown:

“The road safety targets are ambitious – to reduce fatalities by 50 per cent and serious injuries by 30 per cent by 2030 – but they will drive us to take the action we need and the Government is committed to working collaboratively with others to achieve them.

“The Albanese Labor Government is committed to bringing local government back to the table and recognising its unique role as the closest level of government to the people we all serve.

“In June the Prime Minister announced that ALGA will be invited to attend meetings of the National Cabinet and the Council on Federal Financial Relations annually. Then, in early September, AGLA participated at the Jobs and Skills Summit,

“We have also announced the re-establishment of the Australian Council of Local Governments – which will bring together the Prime Minister, Commonwealth Cabinet Ministers, Mayors, Shire Presidents and local government stakeholders.

“I am pleased to be part of a team which recognises the importance of local government.”