Black Spot Program

Road crashes are a major cost to Australians every year. Black Spot projects target those road locations where crashes are occurring. By funding measures such as traffic signals and roundabouts at dangerous locations, the programme reduces the risk of crashes. Programmes of this sort are very effective, saving the community many times the cost of the relatively minor road improvements that are implemented

The Black Spot Programme makes an important contribution in reducing the national road toll under the National Road Safety Strategy and Action Plan.

The Australian Government has committed $500 million to the Black Spot Programme from 2014-15 to 2018-19, which includes an additional $200 million over two years from 2015-16 under the Infrastructure Growth Package to improve road safety across the nation.

The Government has announced changes to the programme’s eligibility criteria for 2015-16 and 2016-17 aimed at assisting local communities to compete for this additional funding over the next two years.

Under the new criteria, the minimum Benefit Cost Ratio for proposals has been reduced from 2:1 to 1:1. In addition, the minimum crash history of sites has been reduced from 3 to 2 casualty crashes over five years or 0.13 casualty crashes per kilometre per year over 5 years.

The criteria has also been amended to allow more funding for the proactive treatment of unsafe roads. Consultative Panels will able to allocate up to 40% of funding to sites on the basis of a road safety audit.

The Government has also guaranteed that at least 50 per cent of funding provided over the next two years will be dedicated to fixing roads in regional Australia.