Western Australia’s road network is the backbone of our economy. It supports the transport of goods, provides access to essential medical services and education, connects communities and travelling tourists, and drives development in the regions.
The deteriorating condition of our major highways is a damning indictment of the WA Labor Government’s lack of urgency and willingness to address these issues that are putting lives and livelihoods at risk.
In the 2024-25 State Budget, the WA Government allocated $11.8 billion over 4 years for transport infrastructure projects ($5.05 billion of this is for METRONET). While this may seem significant, when broken down it falls far short of the real cost to maintain WA’s vast road network.
Recent announcements, such as an additional $32.5 million over four years for regional road safety, are welcome but barely scratch the surface of what’s needed to address these maintenance challenges.
Key highways like the South Coast Highway, Albany Highway, and Great Northern Highway are in dire need of attention, and the frequency of serious vehicle incidents reflects this.
- South Coast Highway: Essential for grain and livestock transport, this highway has been described by transport professionals as “atrocious” due to safety hazards, potholes, and its inability to handle heavy haulage vehicles effectively. With increased farming efficiency bringing in higher yields, this inevitably means heavier and more frequent road-train traffic; use of this major route will only increase.
- Albany Highway: As a key connection between Perth and the Great Southern region, this highway struggles to accommodate increasing traffic volumes, placing users at significant risk. In 2023, 705 crashes happened on the Albany Highway, however these numbers are clearly not a concern to the WA Labor Government as the Minister for Transport, Rita Safioti, said that upgrading the highway to a dual carriageway was a “very significant” cost.
- Great Northern Highway: Livestock transport operators and truck drivers have raised alarms over sections of the highway, calling them “below poor.” This critical route, essential for connecting the Pilbara mining industry to ports and other regions, has seen initiatives such as a $50 million package for 11 overtaking lanes and safety upgrades like audible edge lines. However, these measures only address part of the problem. Stakeholders continue to call for comprehensive and timely interventions to ensure the highway can safely support increasing transportation demands.
Neglecting these critical roads has severe consequences:
- Economic Losses: Poor road conditions drive up transportation costs, cause delays, and put agricultural produce and other goods at risk.
- Safety Risks: Regional areas already face higher road crash fatality rates than urban centres. Deteriorating highways like these exacerbate the issue, creating unsafe workplaces for transport operators and dangerous conditions for all users.
Livestock transport operators, truck drivers, and industry leaders have repeatedly highlighted the dire state of WA’s regional roads. These warnings cannot continue to go unheeded.
The WA Labor Government must be held accountable for its lack of urgency in addressing critical infrastructure like the South Coast, Albany, and Great Northern Highways. These roads are lifelines for regional communities, and their neglect demonstrates a disturbing lack of foresight, planning and care for regional WA.
While the challenges of maintaining WA’s massive road network are undeniable, excuses are no longer acceptable – from truckies and delivery drivers to farmers and school bus drivers, much of our regional community call these very roads their workplace!
If elected, I will;
- Hold the government accountable for infrastructure spending, ensuring that projects addressing regional highways are treated with the urgency they deserve.
- Advance industry-lead, practical working conditions and support for the transport industry.
- Hold the government accountable to a full review of Tier 3 rail to explore alternative routes and reduce pressure on road freight. A report in 2020 found it would cost $1.9 billion to repair, upgrade and reopen all 509km, Tier 3 lines, and WA Labor have been considering this project for over 5 years.
- Review ways to streamline local government road funding to ensure maintenance and improvements are prioritised where they’re needed most.
These roads aren’t just transport routes—they’re vital to the economic health and safety of Western Australia. WA deserves better. Let’s demand it.