Transport in regional WA to receive major funding injection

The State Government is delivering a major boost to transport in regional Western Australia with an additional $178 million for a wide range of initiatives.

The funding will support regional residents across a number of fronts including more assistance to access drivers' licences, increased financial support to get kids to and from school and unlocking key resource projects that will drive jobs and economic growth.

A further $4.1 million is being committed to extend the successful Driving Access and Equity Program that is helping disadvantaged learner drivers in regional Western Australia obtain their driver's licence, which further supports regional employment, education and community engagement.

An additional $8.3 million will be invested to increase the financial support for regional families getting kids to and from school, with the Student Transport Conveyance Allowance more than doubling from 25.24c per kilometre to 55.6c per kilometre.

The increase represents the most significant change to the Student Transport Conveyance Allowance since it was last reviewed in 2002.

The conveyance allowance is in place to support students with special needs and regional families who cannot access the Public Transport Authority's School Bus Services.

The Mid-Year Review also includes a major boost for safety upgrades at regional level crossings with an additional $34 million being invested. This includes $17 million from the Federal Government's Regional Australia Level Crossing Safety Program.

The total investment for regional level crossing safety upgrades over the next four years is now $54 million.

An additional $132 million in State funding will also be provided for four road projects that had Federal funding removed under a recent review of the nation's infrastructure pipeline:

• $48 million for the Moorine Rock to Mt Holland Road Upgrades;
• $48 million for the Marble Bar Road Upgrade;
• $29.6 million to continue planning for the Pinjarra Heavy Haulage Deviation project; and
• $6.4 million for the Great Southern Secondary Freight.

The funding boosts continue the government's investment in transport initiatives and projects in regional WA including:

• the successful Regional Airfare Zone Cap scheme, which has so far provided more than 200,000 capped airfares for regional residents;
• the Regional Road Safety Program which will see more than 10,000km of regional roads upgraded with safety treatments by the end of the 2024-25 financial year;
• the recently completed $245 million New Fitzroy River Bridge; and
• the $1.35 billion Bunbury Outer Ring Road project