格拉坦研究所-坑洞和陷阱：如何修复当地道路（英）-2023.11-86页_6mb

Potholes and Pitfalls: How to Fix Local Roads Summary

This Grattan Institute report examines the state of Australia's local roads, highlighting funding shortfalls, governance issues, and management challenges. Local roads, managed by councils, are in poor condition due to underfunding, climate impacts, and inadequate maintenance practices. An estimated $1 billion annual funding gap exists, with regional and remote councils disproportionately affected.

Key findings:

• Climate change exacerbates road damage from extreme weather.
• Delaying maintenance is a false economy, increasing long-term costs.
• Untied funding allocation favors densely populated areas and self-sufficient councils.
• Tied grants involve excessive bureaucracy, hindering council efficiency.
• Councils lack data, technology, and staff for effective road management.

Recommendations:

1. Boost funding: Increase Financial Assistance Grants and Roads to Recovery funds by $600 million and $400 million respectively, with proper indexing.
2. Reform funding allocation: Redistribute grants to prioritize need, reducing the minimum grant from 30% to 10%.
3. Simplify tied funding: Reduce onerous conditions and provide flexibility for councils.
4. Enhance council capacity: Establish national road hierarchy and service standards, provide data collection tools, and support staff training and technology.

These reforms aim to improve road safety, reduce costs, and ensure better value for taxpayers.