About RoadWise

The WA Local Government Association (WALGA) is an independent, member-based, not-for-profit organisation representing and supporting the WA Local Government sector. WALGA uses its influence, support and expertise to deliver better outcomes for WA Local Governments and their communities.

WALGA’s RoadWise is the Local Government road safety program for Western Australia. The Program is designed to contribute to both the National Road Safety Strategy and Driving Change, the WA road safety strategy by:

  • Engaging and supporting Local Governments to enhance capacity and capability to adopt and apply safe system aligned policies and practice. WALGA will:
    • Provide road safety support services direct to RoadWise Councils.
    • Deliver RoadWise Recognised to encourage, guide, motivate and showcase better road safety practice within the Local Government sector.
    • Produce road safety tools and resources, for Local Governments and their communities, that are aligned to the RoadWise Framework to guide local action towards best practice.
    • Facilitating the sharing of best practice road safety information through communications designed for and delivered to Local Governments.
  • Ensuring that child car seat safety fitting services are accessible to parents and carers of young children. WALGA will:
    • Train and provide ongoing support to Type 1 Child Car Restraint Fitters.
    • Provide up-to-date information to fitters, parents, and carers.

The Role of Local Government in Road Safety

More than one half of all killed and serious injuries (KSI) in Western Australia occur on roads managed by Local Governments (local roads).

  • In the five-year period 2017 – 2021, 57% of all KSIs were recorded on Local Government managed roads[1].

As road managers, Local Governments are a critical stakeholder and partner in road safety, collectively managing over 127,000kms of roads which represents more than 86% of all public roads in WA[2].

In addition, Local Governments perform several other functions, that can contribute to the road safety effort, in:

  • land use planning and urban design,
  • community development and leadership,
  • as fleet operators and managers, and as
  • employers.

Each year Local Governments in WA, spend more than $1 billion on repairs, maintenance, renewal, upgrades, and expansion of the local road infrastructure. Just over 46% of that investment comes from Local Governments’ own resources. Maximising this investment to prioritise road safety outcomes will contribute to achieving the objectives and targets of the National and State road safety strategies.

Local Governments role in road safety has been highlighted through two high-profile road safety reviews, where both recognised that Local Governments are key stakeholders with a significant influence on road safety outcomes. In addition, the reviews recommended that Local Governments need to be engaged and supported to ensure road safety strategy objectives and targets can be achieved:

  • The 2018 Inquiry into the National Road Safety Strategy 2011-2020[3] recommended that road safety be embedded as ‘business as usual’ for all three spheres of government, including Local Government, to assist in transforming road safety performance across Australia, and
  • In reviewing national road safety governance arrangements[4] in 2019, the Road Safety Taskforce concluded that the Local Government sector “is not sufficiently engaged or resourced to deliver road safety”.

This is where WALGA’s RoadWise Program is designed to direct the focus for WALGA’s road safety staff to engage Local Governments in best practice road safety. To build an informed and committed sector with safe system principles integrated into the way the local road network is managed, to ultimately make an effective contribution to the achievement of National and State road safety objectives and targets.

[1]WALGA, Road Safety Performance Local Government Roads 2017-2021 All of WA Report.

[2]WALGA, Report on Local Government Road Assets and Expenditure 2022-23, Report on Local Government Assets and Expenditure | WALGA.

[3]Australian Government, Inquiry into the National Road Safety Strategy 2011- 2020, September 2018,  https://www.roadsafety.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-11/nrss_inquiry_final_report_september_2018_v2.pdf.

[4]Australia Government, Road Safety Taskforce, Review of National Road Safety Governance Arrangements Final Report, June 2019, https://www.roadsafety.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-11/stp_review_of_national_road_safety_governance_arrangements.pdf.

What WALGA's RoadWise Does

    Having a strong understanding of the diverse range and level of needs of Local Governments, WALGA is well-placed to engage and support Local Governments in working towards better practices in road safety and thereby contributing to the achievement of the National and State road safety strategy objectives and targets.

    This is achieved through a team of road safety advisors, policy and project officers who deliver the RoadWise Program through the implementation of:

    • RoadWise Councils,
    • RoadWise Recognised,
    • road safety tools and resource,
    • road safety representation, advocacy and policy,
    • road safety information and communication, and the
    • Child Car Seat Safety Project

    To direct WALGA’s road safety work, and the implementation of the above, WALGA have developed the RoadWise Framework (the Framework).

    The Framework is aligned to the safe system approach, a holistic systematic approach, which guides road safety personnel through supporting RoadWise Councils in adopting and applying those policies and practises that have shown to achieve the best road safety outcomes, thus contributing to National and State road safety objectives and targets.

    For more information, visit the RoadWise Framework page.

    Funding

    To deliver the RoadWise Program, WALGA applies for, and receives funding through the Road Trauma Trust Account (speed and red light camera fines) and the State Road Funds to Local Government Agreement (sourced from WA vehicle licensing fees).

     

    WALGA would like to acknowledge the Minister responsible for road safety, the Road Safety Council, the Road Safety Commission and the State Advisory Committee for administering the funding to deliver RoadWise, the Local Government road safety program for Western Australia.