Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Black Spot Program is one of the best programs being implemented by the government. The vital nature of Black Spot funding in reducing death and serious injuries on Australian roads cannot be, in any way, understated. The government is providing $1.2 billion to the Black Spot Program from 2013-14 to 2024-25. I have to say, there is a lot of discussion at the moment about net zero 2050, as there should be. But if there is one zero towards 2050 we should be working towards valiantly, if there is one priority area, it is vision zero, which is making sure that we don't have any deaths on the road by 2050. This government is working diligently towards that. Part of the government's record $110 billion 10-year infrastructure rollout that is supporting and securing jobs, obviously, driving growth and helping rebuild Australia's economy from the COVID-19 pandemic is the Black Spot Program. No matter where you live, the federal government is investing in road infrastructure to get Australians home to their families sooner and safer. It's a noble cause.

I drove to Temora on the weekend. As I drove there, I saw that the line in the middle of the road, which former Nationals leader, former Deputy Prime Minister John Andersen, once described as that 'corridor of uncertainty'. What we are doing is a simple thing. By putting two lines, side-by-side in the middle of the road, it creates a bit more division between vehicles going opposite directions and just gives you that safety and security on those country roads. Not only that but there are audiotactile lines up the middle of that division and certainly on the sides of the roads. It's that line which, if you actually get your wheels on it, goes 'thump, thump, thump' the faster you go—'thump, thump, thump'. I look forward to seeing how Hansard records that! It's only a small measure, but it saves lives.

The Mayor of Bland Shire, Councillor Brian Monaghan, said to me the other day that in 30 years he had not seen the amount of money being spent in local government areas such as we are investing now. Much of that funding is through the Black Spot Program, state governments as well as the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program. It is providing record spending in local government areas. Councils know because they are at the coal face, so to speak. They are talking to people every day as good local members like you, Deputy Speaker Bird, me and others in this room. We are all speaking to our local constituents, knowing where funding is needed. Of course we know where Black Spot funding is needed because, sadly, tragically, unfortunately, there are people losing their lives on those roads and on those streets. We know because the data is there. We know because the statistics tell us the all-too-stark story.

No matter where you live, the government is investing in road infrastructure to ensure that we do get people where they need to be no matter what they're doing. Given COVID-19, it has been an ideal time to upgrade those roads, because there haven't been as many people travelling as would like to be travelling. Sadly, the road toll continues to be far too high. One death on the road is one too many. By specifically targeting road locations with a history of crashes for safety upgrades, the money is going where it needs to be.

I know in the Riverina and Central West, the funding includes Calarie Road between Wyndham Avenue and Daroobalgie Road at Forbes, improving curved shoulders, widening shoulders, marking the road edge lines and installing guide posts with reflectors, curve markers and reflective pavement markers. That's $685,000 that will save lives in the Central West. Middle Trundle Road, east of The Bogan Way intersection at Trundle has a similar sort of thing. Kurrajong Road near Cord Street—I could go on and on. The object of the exercise is to make sure the funding goes where it needs to be, which is identified by data, identified by families who have lost love ones, identified all too often on country roads by those markers and flowers. We don't want to see a continuation of that. We want to see these issues addressed, and we are.

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