HOST, STEVE MARTIN: For the past week or so, there's been a bit of a storm of media around a discussion paper proposing to lower the default speed limit on rural roads. So, right now the default speed limit on sealed roads is 100 kilometres an hour. Outside of built up areas, there's apparently no limit on gravel roads. I should make it clear this is a proposal. It's being discussed and public comment is being sought by the Federal Infrastructure Department. The modelling says this would make roads safer. Now, last week we spoke to Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Anne Webster. Our guest this morning is the Minister for Regional Development, Kristy McBain. Just to try and sort some fact from fiction, because a lot of people have interpreted this as a Federal Government push to lower the country's speed limit to 70 kilometres an hour and it's not that. Kristy McBain, Minister, good morning, welcome to the program.

MINISTER FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND TERRITORIES, KRISTY MCBAIN: Good morning Steve, good to be with you.

HOST: Can you just explain what is up for discussion in this paper?

MCBAIN: Yes, so the National Road Safety Action Plan lists a range of priority actions. This consultation was a priority action going all the way back to 2018 and was initially instituted under the former government when Michael McCormack was the then Deputy Prime Minister. So, we are doing what that priority action plan says, which was put this out for consultation with states and territories and the community around reducing speed limits on rural and remote roads. There is no proactive decision to do that at this point. It was all about consultation with community.

HOST: Okay, so is there a policy position from the government to lower speed limits at this point?

MCBAIN: No, there's no policy position to lower speed limits. The policy position of every state and territory, governments of any persuasion, was around trying to reduce road trauma and road deaths. Unfortunately, we've seen road deaths escalate over the last couple of years. So, every jurisdiction is putting their mind to how we can make our roads safer. One of the things that we've been doing is investing more significantly in road safety. So, we've doubled Roads to Recovery funding that goes to local councils across the country. It's not a beauty pageant grant, it's an automatic allocation that goes to every council across the country. So, we've doubled that to make sure there is more money going into road maintenance. We've increased our road Black Spot program to $150 million and we've created the new $200 million Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure program because every community deserves safer local roads to drive on.

HOST: Righto, let's stick with default speed limits for the moment. This would only apply to a very small number of rural roads, would it not? Even if this got up with the 70km limit, this would not apply to highways and well used country roads that have a speed limit of 100 already, would it?

MCBAIN: No, this is all around those unsealed rural roads. But again, this is our consultation phase. There is no decision that's been made on speed limit.

HOST: Okay. Is it also correct, Minister, that if it was accepted, and again I say if, that the decision on what happened with the default speed limit would rest with the states and territories rather than with the Federal Government? Speed limits are a state and territorial issue, not a federal issue?

MCBAIN: Yeah, that's right. So, as part of that road safety action plan, the Federal Government agreed to collect the consultation and then work with the states and territories on that. Ultimately speed limits are a decision for state and territory governments.

HOST: Okay, why has this become, I mean it has become a bit of a media kerfuffle with the belief from some that the government wants to lower speed limits. So, why has that developed, do you think?

MCBAIN: Oh look, you know, if you're the Opposition, you want to whip up any hysteria you can and try to distract from the internal divisions that we're seeing with Barnaby Joyce defecting from the Nationals, with Andrew Hastie and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price.

HOST: So, it's just political mischief making?

MCBAIN: Well, you know, if, if you want to get a media story up, you want to move it away from your internal politics and you want to move it on to the government of the day. And this was the easy option.

HOST: When will this analysis be complete?

MCBAIN. So, we've extended that consultation period out to the 10th of November. We're serious about working with communities, with car manufacturers and states and territories to reduce road trauma. We want to see through those road safety priority actions. So, we'll make sure we get that consultation in by the 10th of November and then it'll be a decision for states and territories ultimately down the track.

HOST: Righty-O. So, there is still time for people to make a submission if they would like to?

MCBAIN: Yeah, plenty of time.

HOST: Alright Minister, thanks for your time.

MCBAIN: Great to be with you, Steve.

HOST: That is the Minister for Regional Development, Kristy McBain.