Renew Roads to Recovery (R2R) campaign
The Roads to Recovery (R2R) program was of such importance to local government, ALGA, in association with its member associations, conducted a massive campaign during 2002 and 2003 to have R2R renewed beyond June 2005.
The key step was a review conducted jointly by ALGA and DOTARS, using an independent consultant, to assess the first two years of the R2R program.
The R2R Report, released in May 2003, found R2R had made the roads safer, improved the ease with which goods and people can use them, enhanced economic development and improved the amenity of living in many places.
The Review concluded:
"The R2R program reduced the rate of decline in the condition of local roads. To maintain the asset at its current level of service the R2R funding would need to be not only continued but twice its current level. Local roads will revert to their pre-R2R rate of decline at the end of the program in 2005 if the program is not continued." (R2R Review p.42).
It also found:
- R2R met a need for additional local road funds but has not eliminated the backlog of works on local roads
- Most of the expenditure was on existing roads, split about equally between renewal and upgrading capital expenditure
- The program had strong employment benefits
- The program maximised the available funding for road works
Given this clear endorsement, ALGA co-ordinated a national campaign to renew R2R. This strong and focussed effort culminated in the Australian Government announcing in May 2003 that, as part of the new AusLink initiative, a new R2R program will provide a further $1.2bn over the four years from July 2005 to June 2009.
