Federal MP Pat Conaghan says road safety upgrades such as lighting, signage, traffic lights and roundabouts will improve seven road sites in the Cowper electorate targeted under the Federal Government’s Black Spot Program.

He said the program reduces crashes causing injury and death at the sites by around 30 per cent.

The Chair of the Joint Select Committee on Road Safety said the Federal Government will provide $4.2 million under the program for the road safety improvements.

“The projects include Gowings Hill Road at Dondingalong; River Street near Elbow Street at West Kempsey; Rodeo Drive west of Wirrimbi Road at Wirrimbi; Rollands Plains Road near Red Hill Road at Telegraph Point; Scotts Head Road from Giinagay Way to six kilometres east at Way Way, and Wilson Road at Bowraville,” Mr Conaghan said.

“Community input was critical to identifying these key black spots in the electorate.

“Road crashes place major emotional and economic strains on all affected communities but particularly the families and friends of the victims.

“I am pleased to see that projects like will be delivered under the 2021–22 funding round.”

Mr Conaghan said none of the projects would be delivered without the community’s vital input and encouraged residents and motorists in the region to nominate projects for future funding rounds.

The Federal Government has committed a record $1.1 billion to the Black Spot Program from 2013–14 to 2023–24 to improve road safety across the nation.

For more information on the Australian Government’s Black Spot Program, or to nominate a black spot, visit infrastructure.gov.au/funding/blackspots

See below for the full list of the Black Spot funding works for the Cowper electorate

• Gowings Hill Road 1.6 km section from Marys Bay Road to Marr Way at Dondingalong: $306,000 to mark road edge lines, install guideposts with reflectors, flexible barrier on roadside and fence, move Stop or Give Way lines forward using paint markings, and improve road geometry; $306,000. Council contribution $600,000.
• River Street near Elbow Street at West Kempsey: $310,000 to install River Street intersection and/or pedestrian crossing improvements and pedestrian refuge with kerb improvements and mark road edge lines.
• Rodeo Drive between 1 and 2km west of Wirrimbi Road intersection at Wirrimbi: $583,800 to mark barrier line and road edge lines, install guideposts with reflectors, curve markers, new curve and advisory speed signs, improve road geometry and curved shoulder and install semi-rigid barrier on roadside.
• Rollands Plains Road near Red Hill Road at Telegraph Point: $235,000 to install curve markers, mark barrier line and install reflective pavement markers,semi-rigid barrier on roadside and new curve and advisory speed signs.
• Scotts Head Road from Giinagay Way to 6km east at Way Way: $1,450,220 to improve curved shoulder, install guideposts with reflectors, mark road edge lines and barrier line, install semi-rigid barrier on roadside, curve markers and shoulder improvements and improve road geometry. Council contribution $152,411.
• Wilson Road from 3.5km to 6.8km east of Bowraville at Congarinni North: $1,323,250 to install delineation, improve curved shoulder and road geometry and install semi-rigid barrier on roadside.