Applications for the latest round of the Special Local Roads Program are now open for South Australian Councils, enabling them to fund local road projects.
Local Government Association (LGA) South Australia President, Mayor Dean Johnson, said the funding would enable councils to undertake strategic local road projects that would otherwise stretch beyond their budget capacities.
“Road funding for South Australia is critical and this program is one way South Australian councils can construct and maintain important local roads – both sealed and unsealed – and bridges, which promotes economic and business growth as well as local employment,” Mayor Johnson said.
“The primary objective of the program is to prioritise the construction and maintenance of strategic and significant local roads that have a positive impact beyond the council and its community.”
Mayor Johnson said the Special Local Roads Program has been critical to helping communities flourish and is excited to see the new projects that will be undertaken in its latest funding round.
“This program has proven highly successful year-after-year and often receives more applications than there is funding available,” Mayor Johnson said.
“In 2022, for instance, over $16 million was provided to twenty-three councils to support a range of strategic outcomes, such as improving freight and supply chain access, tourism, and safety.”
Franklin Harbour District Council was one of those councils, securing $1,063,000 for significant upgrades to the Cowell-Kimba and Lucky Bay roads.
Franklin Harbour Mayor, Robert Walsh, said, “Our council services road users not just from our own area, but from other neighbouring districts – including those driving grain trucks and other heavy vehicles.
“As a result, the added wear and tear on our roads requires regular upkeep and being a small council, we have to rely on external funding in order to carry out this work.
“Without this grant support, we would not be in a position to finance such extensive road upgrades.”
The Special Local Roads Program has been in place in South Australia since 1985 and is built on councils pooling together a portion of their federal road funding, which is then distributed across the local government sector to deliver more strategic outcomes.
Funding for the annual program’s grant round is derived from:
- 15 per cent of identified local roads component of Commonwealth Financial Assistance Grants
- 15 per cent of South Australia’s Supplementary Local Road Funding (in available years)
- 15 per cent of South Australia’s allocation of Roads to Recovery
Applications opened on 6 March 2023 and can be lodged through the LGA website.
