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Coming together to improve outback roads network
Thursday, 1 February 2024
Exploring ways to improve roads in outback South Australia will be the focus of a Government-led initiative held today, bringing together key stakeholders from regional and remote communities.
Primary producers, industry and community groups, and government agencies are meeting in Port Augusta to discuss the management and maintenance of the outback roads network and identify opportunities for change.
Convened by the Minister for Regional Roads and with support from Livestock SA, today’s forum aims to hear directly from outback communities that will assist the Department for Infrastructure and Transport in prioritising future maintenance works and new projects.
A new advisory group – chaired by the Outback Communities Authority – will also be established to help develop long-term policies and strategies and deliver recommendations on where resources and new investment are needed most.
Membership will comprise local community representatives along with those in primary production, transport, tourism and mining sectors. The group will meet at least twice a year and provide regular updates to outback residents.
Outback roads comprise around 10,000 kilometres of the state’s road network, with $12.2 million allocated for annual maintenance in 2023-24 – which is under increasing pressure from rising costs and more frequent extreme weather events.
The Malinauskas Government has completed a series of recent works in outback SA to ease this pressure, such as $4.2 million of floodway upgrades at Lora Creek and Arckaringa Creek, between Coober Pedy and Oodnadatta, as well as Anne Beadell Highway in the Far North.
Ongoing and future works, in partnership with the Federal Government, include:
- Strzelecki Track – 190km out of 472km (40.5 per cent) has been sealed along this vital supply line as part of a $215 million upgrade (80:20 Federal-State funding). The track has been impacted by 41 separate weather events between September 2020 and December 2023, resulting in closures to all traffic for 91 days.
- Oodnadatta Track – $10.6 million reconstruction underway of five major floodways and resheeting in an 80km section between Marla and Oodnadatta to improve access after rain.
- Mickey Free Lawrie Drive and Trowbridge Road – junction upgrades to improve safety and access to Koonibba community, west of Ceduna, as part of the $94 million Eyre Highway project (80:20 funding).
- APY Lands Main Access Road – Pavement and sealing upgrades between Umuwa and Kaltjiti (Fregon) set to begin in early 2024, creating an all-weather surface for safer travel between the communities and better delivery access.
- Remote Roads Upgrade Pilot Program – $9.2 million (80:20 funding) to improve key sections of Tea Tree Road and Gammon Ranges Road.
Other joint programs being rolled out include a $500 million Nationwide Freight Highway Upgrade for Stuart, Augusta and Dukes highways to boost freight productivity in rural and remote parts of SA and $75 million Flood Recovery to strengthen national supply chain resilience of the state’s vital transport corridors.