Black spot cash round

THREE black spots in Berwick, Cockatoo, and Harkaway will be fixed by mid next year.
More than $550,000 will go towards constructing a roundabout at the Ernst Wanke Road and Harkaway Road intersection in Berwick.
In Cockatoo, along Bailey Road between Paternoster Road and McBride Street, $525,000 will be used to seal shoulders and install guardrail with rub-rail, raised reflective pavement markers, and edge lines.
More than $220,000 in funding will go towards sealing shoulders and installing edge lines along Harkaway Road, from Noack Road to A’Beckett Road in Harkaway.
Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese and La Trobe MP Laura Smyth made the $1.3 million funding announcement last Friday.
Ms Smyth said the Federal Labor Government had allocated more than $4.3 million to fix 17 black spots across the La Trobe electorate since it was elected in 2007.
“This investment is helping to make our local roads even safer for motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians, with 12 of these projects already completed,” Ms Smyth said.
“And the good thing about our Black Spot program is that anyone can suggest an intersection or section of road they believe should be considered for a safety upgrade.”
Ms Smyth said nomination forms were available from her office and at www.nationbuildingprogram.gov.au.
Mr Albanese said an independent evaluation of the program found it prevented at least 32 fatalities and more than 1500 serious injuries in its first three years, underscoring its effectiveness at reducing fatal car accidents.
“That’s why nationally we’ve doubled the program’s funding to half a billion dollars – more than honouring all our election commitments,” he said.
The projects were recommended by a panel of independent road safety experts and will be delivered during the coming financial year.