Road infrastructure at a crossroads

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport has today tabled the report for its inquiry into the implications of severe weather events on the national regional, rural, and remote road network.

Chair of the Committee, Mr Luke Gosling OAM, MP, said ‘the severe weather events over the past few years have taken a tremendous toll on our road network and our nation. The unprecedented scale and intensity of floods, torrential downpours, and bushfires have caused catastrophic damage to our road infrastructure, exposing its vulnerability against severe weather events and a changing climate.’

“Our communities and supply chain networks are heavily reliant upon a safe and functional road network to ensure connectivity and access to health and other essential services, food, fuel, and other resources. We have reached the crossroads of changing climate risks, socio-economic growth, and long-term resilience,” Mr Gosling said.

The 26 recommendations made by the Committee complement the Australian Government’s announcement to double the Roads to Recovery Program funding over the next four years and aim to build nationally resilient road infrastructure including:

– collaboration across all levels of government to develop road asset infrastructure resilience guidelines, planning and investment frameworks, and address existing road asset data gaps
– engagement across all levels of government, the scientific community, and industry to revise national road design and construction standards and incorporate innovative and recycled road materials and technologies
– a review of local government funding allocation to support asset maintenance works under the Australian Government’s Infrastructure Investment Program
– consider the distribution of local government Financial Assistance Grant program road component funding
– an assessment of betterment access and claims approvals under Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, and
– embedding resilience design and construction procurement requirements under the new Federation Funding Agreements on transport infrastructure.

Further information in relation to the inquiry and a full list of its recommendations is available from the Committee’s website.