{"id":48937,"date":"2013-10-25T19:31:18","date_gmt":"2013-10-25T09:31:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=48937"},"modified":"2020-08-21T18:51:41","modified_gmt":"2020-08-21T08:51:41","slug":"300m-to-repair-nations-bridges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2013\/10\/25\/300m-to-repair-nations-bridges\/","title":{"rendered":"$300m To Repair Nation’s Bridges"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Federal Member for Wide Bay Warren Truss<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

October 25, 2013<\/strong><\/p>\n

Deputy Prime Minister and Member for Wide Bay Warren Truss has repeated a promise to Local Government representatives that the Federal Government will invest $300 million to upgrade the nation’s bridges.<\/p>\n

Speaking at the Local Government Association of South Australia conference today Mr Truss said he had a “passion” for Local Government.<\/p>\n

“As many of you know, I served as a councillor in the Shire of Kingaroy for 14 years. I have a passion for Local Government, and I understand very well the critical role that it plays in making our nation stronger,” he said.<\/p>\n

Mr Truss said councillors\u00a0did\u00a0not need reminding how ageing road infrastructure was a major challenge for local\u00a0governments, particularly rural and regional councils.<\/p>\n

“That is why we created the Roads to Recovery and Black Spots programs \u2013 to address the deplorable\u00a0condition of many local roads and streets, especially in regional communities,” he said.<\/p>\n

“We are very proud of these programs \u2013 they are practical solutions that have made our roads safer\u00a0and more efficient.<\/p>\n

“They will be complemented by our new commitment to invest $300 million to upgrade the nation\u2019s deteriorating bridges under our new Bridges Renewal program<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

“Both international and national\u00a0experience shows that bridges are frequently neglected infrastructure assets.<\/p>\n

“Australia\u2019s 30,000 local bridges are vital in connecting people within communities \u2013 but substantial upgrades are often beyond the financial resources of local governments.<\/p>\n

“We want to work with local government to help fix these problems by providing up to 50 per cent of the cost of building the replacement bridges so often required.<\/p>\n

“We recognise that these upgrades are essential for both economic and safety reasons \u2013 and the Bridges Renewal Programme will provide very practical help to local governments.<\/p>\n