Kempsey completes road safety assessment
14 October 2009The final stage in a landmark project assessing road safety in Aboriginal communities in NSW will take place in Kempsey, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Paul Lynch said today.
The project is being led by the RTA in partnership with NSW Department of Aboriginal Affairs, local councils, the Local Government and Shires Association, the NSW Aboriginal Land Council, and local Aboriginal land councils.
Kempsey is the final region of 65 to have road safety infrastructure assessments delivered for identified Aboriginal communities across the State.
The multi-agency team led by the RTA engaged with each local Aboriginal community to play an integral role in the assessment process.
"This is the first time a project of this scope has been done in Australia," Mr Lynch said.
"An essential part of the assessment involves listening to the community in helping to assess local road safety infrastructure," he said.
"It also involves identifying road improvements, line marking, traffic management measures, signage and road user behaviour," Mr Lynch said.
"We are working with the community to help reduce the number of fatalities and the risk of road injury by providing expert road safety advice and assistance," he said.
Bev Manton the Chairperson of the NSW Aboriginal Land Council welcomed the initiative:
"It will make a difference. After all, the standard of roads and other infrastructure in many of our communities is appalling, almost third world," she said.
"Any initiative genuinely designed, as this initiative is, to improve community infrastructure will be strongly endorsed by Aboriginal people.
"The NSWALC was pleased to have played a part in the consultative process and direction of this program," Ms Manton said.
The road safety assessment is part of a larger evaluation of infrastructure in Aboriginal communities led by the NSW Department of Aboriginal Affairs and a key component under the State Plan.
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