Federal Member for Groom Garth Hamilton has slammed the Albanese Government’s proposal to lower speed limits on regional roads, warning it’s the wrong approach to improving safety and productivity in regional Australia.
Under the plan, speed limits on unsigned regional and rural roads could be reduced from to as low as 70 or 80 kilometres an hour.
Mr Hamilton said while road safety is a serious issue, the government’s focus should be on maintaining and upgrading roads, not penalising country motorists.
“We all want to see safer roads – that’s an important goal, particularly in regional areas,” Mr Hamilton said.
“But this is a government that’s cut funding from road maintenance projects and now, instead of fixing our roads, they just want to make us go slow.”
“Regional Australians need better roads, not lower speed limits. This approach is wrong and does not consider the impacts on road freight or access to services.”
Mr Hamilton said the proposal will hurt regional productivity, particularly for transport operators, farmers and small businesses that rely on efficient road connections.
“If Labor really wants to make our roads safer, it should invest in sealing, widening, repairing and building new overtaking lanes them – not slamming the brakes to make life harder for those who live and work in the regions,” he said.
ENDS.
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