GrainGrowers has welcomed the Coalition’s commitment to reinstate the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) Program with a dedicated stream for road funding.
GrainGrowers General Manager Policy and Advocacy, Zach Whale, said reintroducing the formula-based program would provide a positive step toward addressing the state of local roads throughout Australia.
Mr Whale said rural councils in grain-growing regions across Australia were currently facing significant challenges in managing and maintaining their extensive road networks in the face of increasing climate variability, declining rater bases and long-term cost shifting.
"Formula-based, non-competitive funding is really important for ensuring rural and regional local governments receive equitable, needs-based support.
“Despite managing close to 50% of Australia’s local road network, rural and remote councils often do so with a fraction of the resources.”
"You can’t run a national freight network on patchwork funding. Rural councils need equitable, reliable support - not a race for grants.”
Mr Whale said the current road funding was directly undermining the efficiency of grain freight across regional Australia.
“With funding stretched thin, many regional and rural councils have no choice but to impose temporary speed and weight limits just to keep roads open. But the grain still needs to move - these restrictions just make it slower, less efficient, and more expensive for our growers.”
“While local roads are critical, they’re only one piece of the puzzle. Efficient grain freight also depends on the condition of major regional routes and bridges that connect paddocks to ports.
To ensure the efficiency and resilience of the entire freight system, GrainGrowers is calling on both major parties to:
Reinstate the Roads of Strategic Importance (ROSI) program, which delivered targeted funding to upgrade regional freight corridors through road sealing, flood immunity works, and pavement rehabilitation.
Establish a dedicated bridge funding stream within the Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program (SLRIP) to support upgrades to ageing regional bridges critical to grain transport and high-productivity vehicle access.
Mr Whale said strategic investment across all levels of the freight network - local, regional, and arterial - is required to meet the growing challenges of climate, productivity, and rural infrastructure gaps.
“GrainGrowers remains committed to working with all parties to deliver the road infrastructure our regions need.”
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