Road Safety

Mr HUGHES (Giles) (15:34): My question is to the Minister for Road Safety. Minister, can you advise the outcomes of funding applications from the Motor Accident Commission local government road safety initiatives program?

The SPEAKER: Minister. I was just giving the member for Schubert time to check.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light—Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (15:34): Check the website? I am just about to announce it, so I am not sure he is going to find it on there. First of all, I would like to thank the member for Giles for his strong advocacy, not just for his electorate but for regional South Australia in general. I am pleased to announce that 41 projects across the state have received funding for road safety initiatives.

Last year the government approved the allocation of $47.7 million for a range of road safety initiatives recommended by the road safety initiatives advisory group to be delivered across the 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 financial years. This formed part of the $100 million funding from the Motor Accident Commission announced in the 2013-14 state budget for road safety infrastructure to improve our roads. Included in the $47.7 million was $4 million to assist local government to undertake road safety infrastructure initiatives.

Applications for the local government funding closed in September last year and 50 submissions were received from local councils. The projects selected were assessed by the road safety initiatives advisory group. I am pleased to announce that 25 councils, both regional and metropolitan, will receive money for vital road safety projects. Each of these projects improves safety on our state's roads, and the investment by MAC, in partnership with local government, demonstrates the state's commitment to road safety and addressing local safety concerns.

I, like all South Australians, have been left devastated by the number of deaths on our roads already this year. Sadly, rural and regional drivers continue to be overrepresented in our state's road toll and this worrying trend unfortunately continues. In 2014, 67 per cent of all fatal crashes occurred on rural roads, an increase of 6 per cent from 2013.

In this allocation, 14 regional councils will receive over $1.3 million from the Motor Accident Commission's Road Safety Fund, which means that over half of this initial funding allocation will be spent on regional road safety projects. It will be used for works such as shoulder widening and sealing, increased signage, and installation of safety and guardrails, and will provide invaluable safety upgrades to those rural roads and their communities. Factoring in council contributions, the 41 projects see an investment of over $3 million in road safety infrastructure across the state.

Initiatives from this fund will see an investment of $250,000 on an S-bend at Proper Bay Road, Tulka, on Lower Eyre Peninsula. The safety improvements at this location include shoulder sealing and wire rope safety barriers. The intersection of St Kilda Road and Robinson Road at Waterloo Corner will be improved through a $174,000 investment, with new and improved traffic management signage and road widening works to occur.

In the Hills, $100,000 will be invested to install a protected right turn and pedestrian refuge on Morphett and Walker streets, Mount Barker, in partnership with the local council. In the APY lands, $100,000 will be invested to install a wombat crossing and speed humps in Mimili and the creation of a 25 km/h school zone and installation of traffic controls in Ernabella.

A call for further local government projects is being undertaken to enable local governments to apply for up to $500,000 per project for the remaining unallocated $1.74 million to ensure that every dollar allocated is spent on road safety infrastructure. I would urge all councils to make a submission for the next round. A full list of the successful projects will be available online later and I congratulate all the successful councils who will receive the funding. I also take this opportunity to remind all road users that we are all responsible for one another on our roads.