Plan to slash national default speed limit labelled ludicrous by regional road users

A plan to slash the national default speed limit on non-signposted rural and regional roads has been slammed by farming groups and politicians, who fear a blanket cut would not address the nation’s climbing road toll.

The Federal Government called for public comment into its controversial proposal in September, revealing plans to cut the national speed limit to as low as 70km/h on non-signposted sealed and unsealed regional roads.

The current default speed limit across Australia outside of built-up areas is 100km/h unless otherwise sign-posted.

The move has been slammed for being unsafe by road users concerned already lengthy trips for services and essentials could become even longer and heighten risk of fatigue-related crashes.

In Federal Parliament on November 3, member for Durack Melissa Price said the proposed policy proved how out of touch the Federal Government was with regional Australia.

“It’s not a road safety policy. It’s a productivity killer, nothing more and nothing less,” she said.

“Across Durack, from the Pilbara to the Kimberley, the Mid West and throughout the Gascoyne to the Wheatbelt, our roads are already deteriorating at an alarming rate.

“Instead of properly funding maintenance and upgrades, Labor’s answer is simply to slow everyone down. People in Durack are already battling rising costs. They don’t need another city-centric policy that hurts local jobs and makes everyday life that little bit harder.

“In my electorate, long distance travel isn’t just a choice, it’s a necessity. Cutting speed limits by 30km/h will not fill a single pothole or strengthen a single bridge.

“Labor has slashed funding for regional roads, reducing the Commonwealth contribution for regional roads projects from 80 per cent to 50 per cent, ending the local roads and community infrastructure program and abolishing the roads of strategic importance initiative.

“Regional Australians deserve investment, not more road blocks from Canberra...”

It comes after a recent auditor-general report on WA regional roads found the Shire of East Pilbara had a road maintenance backlog of $196 million and many roads in the Shire of Derby West Kimberley were still in disrepair after ex-tropical cyclone Ellie which hit the region more than two years ago.

The report found a lack of funding from both State and Federal governments was contributing to the issue.

In its submission to the Federal Government, national grain advocacy group GrainGrowers Limited welcomed moves to address the nation’s sky-high road toll but expressed concerns about what difference cutting the speed limit would make.

“While GrainGrowers strongly supports efforts to reduce the disproportionate number of fatalities on regional roads, GrainGrowers is concerned that blanket speed limit reductions fail to address the root causes of road trauma,” the submission said.

GrainGrowers highlighted the condition of north and south Wheatbelt roads as some of the oldest in WA with the “lowest preservation performance”, pointing to data that showed 20 per cent of the network was in poor condition.

While submissions to the inquiry were due to close on October 27, an eleventh-hour reprieve was granted that day and the submission deadline was extended to November 10.

The Federal Government and all State and Territory governments in 2021 agreed to a long-term target of zero road fatalities and serious injuries by 2050, as outlined in the National Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030.

More than 800 people were killed or seriously injured on Wheatbelt roads between between 2018 and 2022 — more than four times than in metropolitan areas.

GrainGrowers’ submission also suggested roads could become safer by being redesigned with divided carriageways, high-grip surfaces, wide shoulders and adequate lane widths and protected roadsides to reduce impact with trees or other hazards.

“Ongoing road maintenance is fundamental to improving safety outcomes and reducing the road toll in regional and rural areas,” GrainGrowers said.

Federal Regional Development Minister Kristy McBain said submissions would help the Federal Government better understand the “current state” of the nation’s road network and how it could be made safer.

“We want to make sure every time someone uses our roads, they make it to their destination safely,” she said.

“Whether it’s a truckie on a long-haul journey, or a parent picking up their kids from school.”

WA shadow road safety minister Julie Freeman, a Nationals MLC based in Mullewa, said the plan may not have the desired effect.

“For people who already spend long hours behind the wheel travelling for work, education, healthcare or family commitments, this would be a real and unnecessary burden,” she said.

“The intent behind the proposal to improve safety is sound, but there’s little evidence to suggest that simply lowering speed limits on country roads will make them safer.

“In fact, some research shows that factors like road quality, driver familiarity and environmental conditions play a much greater role in influencing safety outcomes.”

Ms Freeman highlighted WA’s reliance on the road network — and its limited public transport and rail networks — and said Canberra modelling did not necessarily work for all regional centres.

“One-size-fits-all policies might look neat on paper in Canberra but they fail to account for the realities of distance, terrain and access in our state,” she said.

“You can’t put the handbrake on productivity because it’s the easiest option.

“Slowing down the very people who keep those industries running will only make it harder for regional communities to thrive.”