National News

NRMA welcomes $1.8B road funding announcement

The NRMA has welcomed a $1.8 billion commitment from the Federal Government to provide a much-needed boost to road infrastructure in regional Australia, just two weeks after the NRMA released its COVID-Recovery report focusing on the regional road network and supporting local councils. 

The newly announced stimulus will flow through to 537 councils across Australia, with the money put towards important community projects like improving roads, building bridges and upgrading local infrastructure.

The NRMA recently released new research identifying regional areas hit hardest by the state’s road toll and provided Government with areas of priority to direct the much-needed infrastructure stimulus spending to help boost the economy.

The NRMA strongly supports Australian and NSW Government investment in road infrastructure as an economic stimulus to counter the effects of the Coronavirus by supporting local employment and suppliers in the short term and reduce the road toll in the longer term.

NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury said today’s announcement was a win for everyone, particularly those regional communities who are struggling.

“The Federal Government is absolutely right to look to infrastructure spending as a crucial piece of the puzzle to help Australia get back on its feet, just two weeks after the NRMA report into the economic cost of deaths and injuries on regional communities,” Mr Khoury said. 

“Regional Australia hasn’t just been hit with the economic effects of COVID-19, it has been battling one of the worst droughts in our history and well as devastating bushfires. We need to prioritise these communities.

“Fixing the roads in these communities will save lives, provided a much-needed shot in the arm of regional economies and – crucially as we head out of lock-down – give greater access to regional tourism destinations and therefore boost regional communities.”