HOST, KRISTY READING: Kristy McBain is the Federal Minister for Regional Development and joins us this morning to talk a bit more about this. Good morning and thanks for your time today.

MINISTER FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND TERRITORIES, KRISTY MCBAIN: Good morning, Kristy.

HOST: Why is this review of regional road default speed limits happening?

MCBAIN: Look, despite the outrage that's being whipped up by the National Party in particular, reviewing default speed limits was actually an action that was committed to as part of a road safety agenda back in 2018, when Nationals member Michael McCormack was the Deputy Prime Minister. There were a number of actions that each state and territory agreed to review over time. These default speed limits on regional and remote roads was to take place. We've extended that consultation because we know that it is important for regional community members to be heard. So, that's exactly what we're doing.

HOST: Okay, so why are you looking specifically at reducing roads that don't have the speed limit posted or signs from 100 kilometres to 90, 80 or 70?

MCBAIN: Look, so again, this was an action under the road safety agenda that goes back to 2018. There are a number of priorities agreed to by the states and territories at the time to review a range of things that happen on our roads. So, there was a review of speed limits across rural and remote roads that was agreed to by all states and territories. I just want to make sure your listeners understand there's been no decision on introducing a default speed limit on unsigned or unsealed roads. Any changes to speed limits is the remit of state and territory governments. This is part of a road safety agenda and a number of actions that were agreed to back in 2018. I think we can all agree road safety is a massive issue. It's one of the reasons why we've invested more money into roads because we know how important it is for communities to have access to safe local roads in particular. 

HOST: Do you want to see the speed limit defaults lowered?

MCBAIN: Look, it's not up to me. There'll be consultation that happens with communities and as I said, ultimately it'll be a decision for state and territory governments to govern speed limits around the country.

HOST: So, when are we likely to find out the results of this review?

MCBAIN: So, consultation is open until the 10th of November. So, far, more than 1,800 submissions have been received and I encourage people to put their thoughts through to that consultation process.

HOST. So, that has been extended?

MCBAIN: That's right. We've extended it to the 10th of November. What we don't want to see is politicking on what is a really critical issue across a lot of our communities and that's road safety. You know, I think we all share a vision for zero deaths on our roads and we want to make sure that we are consulting with community when it comes to making sure we've got safer local roads.

HOST: Speaking to Moree Plains Mayor Susannah Pearse on the program on Monday, you know, she also said that natural disasters have contributed to the condition of the Shire’s roads and also made comment on a significant reduction in Federal Government funding to roads as well. Could the Federal Government respond better to the road situation and the condition of roads?

MCBAIN: Well, there hasn't been a reduction in road funding. In fact, there's been a doubling of a local government fund called Roads to Recovery. Every local council across the country now receives more money in their Roads to Recovery fund. That's not a beauty pageant grant contest. That is an automatic allocation that goes out to every council in the country and it goes out based on not only population but road length. So, it absolutely benefits our rural and regional councils who are responsible for huge kilometres of our road network.

HOST: Well, the Moree Mayor did say to us that they have received less federal government funding in recent years than previously.

MCBAIN: Well, she gets an automatic allocation every year under Roads to Recovery. We have increased our road black spot funding to $150 million a year. We've increased a new program – $200 million a year in the Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure program – which deals with larger roads and bridge projects. We're really serious about road safety. That's one of the reasons there's been such large increases in road funding under our government.

HOST: Is the allocation of that road funding based on population or is it based on road network?

MCBAIN: Population and road network, which is why so many rural and regional councils are receiving more money as Roads to Recovery increases over the next couple of years. And this isn't a one-off increase, it's baked into our Budget ongoing. We have listened to councils across the country, we've brought local government back to the table at National Cabinet and we've reintroduced the Australian Council of Local Government so that we can hear directly from mayors and councillors and CEOs across the country about some of the big issues that are important to them. It's one of the reasons we doubled that Roads to Recovery funding. It's one of the reasons we've introduced the Housing Support Program, to get the enabling infrastructure in the ground for more housing developments to take place. It’s one of the reasons we introduced the Community Energy Upgrade Fund and the Active Transport Fund. So, we've been working really closely with councils across the country to understand where their pinch points are so we can help chip in and make sure that local communities aren't being left behind.

HOST: So, once we receive the results of this review, this road review, this national road safety plan review, what happens from here? How quickly will the government make a decision?

MCBAIN: As I said, the consultation is taking place. Ultimately, changes to speed limits is the remit of state and territory governments. This action goes back to a road safety plan from 2018, where there were a number of priority actions that were required to be done by all of us. We agreed to do the consultation for this and ultimately, it'll be a decision for states and territories.

HOST: Okay, so people have until the 10th of November now to make comment on this?

MCBAIN: Yep, absolutely. We made sure we extended that consultation period because we know how important it is across rural communities.

HOST: When was that decision made?

MCBAIN: A couple of weeks ago, we made the decision to extend the consultation. 

HOST: All right. There's still some information around online that says that it closed on Monday. So, yeah, the 10th of November, that extension has been made to. Kristy McBain, good to have you on the program this morning. Thanks for joining us.

MCBAIN: My pleasure.