Safer rural roads program

All applications need to meet all the following criteria to be considered.

• The applicant must be a non-State Government road owner (e.g. local council or other road owner).
• All mandatory sections of the application form must be completed.
• Initial applications must provide designs to the concept stage only. The Department of State Growth will need to formally review and endorse detailed designs prior to project implementation.
• The application must relate to an identified corridor and address identified risks.
• The application must deliver cost-effective infrastructure improvement.
• Applications not supported by a co-contribution from local council/road owner need to provide an explanation on this matter.
• The road corridor targeted for treatment must be primarily in a non-urban location (i.e. not within an urban centre/locality as defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics 1270.0.55.004 - Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS): Volume 4 - Significant Urban Areas, Urban Centres and Localities, Section of State, July 2016), and comprise council-owned roads.
• The maximum amount of funding available for individual applications is $250 000 (GST excluded).
• The application must be for a new project.

A risk management approach is used to assess applications. Applications that meet the mandatory criteria will be assessed against the following criteria.

• The likelihood of a crashes occurring based on exposure rates (i.e. traffic volume data) and the likely consequence of a crash or crashes.
• The potential crash reduction benefit(s) of the proposed infrastructure treatment.
• Co-contribution or explanation for applications not supported by local council funding.
• The use of the Safe System design tool (Reference 5).
• Alignment with key directions under the Towards Zero Strategy and the Towards Zero - Tasmania Road Safety Action Plan 2020-2024.

The Assessment Committee conducts the assessment of applications. Membership includes representatives from the Road Safety and State Roads branches of State Growth.

All grant recipients must sign an agreement with State Growth. This confirms State Growth’s and the applicant’s responsibilities according to the application. The main provisions of this agreement cover the following.

• State Growth will commit to an agreed payment timetable based on the terms of the agreement and the amount funded for the approved project. For example, a project grant could be funded at key milestones (negotiated for each project), and/or at the project completion.
• State Growth may select a project at random for financial and/or compliance auditing.
• The applicant is responsible for the project and the management of all associated activities and risks. State Growth’s role is to provide funding.
• Funding for the project, including the component received from State Growth, must be included in the applicant's annual reporting.

• The applicant is required to notify State Growth when the project is complete.
• A completion audit is to be undertaken by State Growth once the project is complete. Final payment will only be made by State Growth once this has occurred.

• The applicant will need to consider if the approved project is subject to any legislation.

• State Growth may use the information from the approved project for business purposes. For example, State Growth may use the data, project outputs and/or financial information as a showcase, or use photos as examples to put on Tasmanian Government websites or in support materials.

State Growth may require the installation of signage at the entry to the defined corridor to inform road users of the existence/role of the SRRP and the source of the project funding.

Find out more about the program, who can apply and what the application conditions are.

All applications need to meet all the following criteria to be considered.

• The applicant must be a non-State Government road owner (e.g. local council or other road owner).
• All mandatory sections of the application form must be completed and include the design and schedule of works (of the proposed infrastructure treatment).
• The application must address corridor-based infrastructure treatments to improve road safety on rural, non-State-Government-owned roads
• The application must deliver cost-effective infrastructure improvements.
• Applications not supported by a co-contribution from local council need to provide an explanation on this matter.
• The area targeted must be in an urban or non-urban location and on either a State or council-owned road.
• A minimum of $50,000 can be requested and up to $250,000 (GST excluded).
• The total project value should not exceed $500,000 (GST excluded), including any co-contribution from local council

The application must be for a new project. Applications that will not be considered for funding include:

• maintenance infrastructure activity or administration costs incurred.

Approved projects must not be varied unless the variation is approved by the SRRP Assessment Committee.

A variation includes the use of different infrastructure treatments to those detailed in the application, and/or a variation in the funding amount.

Requests to vary the approved project must be accompanied by supporting information, including details and revised design and schedule of works.

Submissions are now sought for 2020-2021 projects. The closing date for submissions is 6 November 2020.

The following documents provide useful information to inform applications.

1. Towards Zero - Tasmanian Road Safety Action Plan 2020-2024
2. Austroads Research Report Local Government Road Safety Management Guidance
3. Austroads, Towards Safe System Infrastructure. A compendium of current Knowledge, AP-R
4. Austroads, Safe System Assessment Framework, AP-R509-16
5. Austroads, Embedding Safe System in the Guide to Traffic Management, AP-R595-19

The SRRP is administered by the Road Safety Branch. If you would like to discuss anything relating to the program you may contact:

Beck McKinney

Road Safety

Email: Safer.Rural.Roads.Program@stategrowth.tas.gov.au

Phone: 03 61655257