Published on Wednesday, 5 August 2026 at 3:29:03 PM
The Shire of Victoria Plains has secured $1.95 million in State Government funding to deliver further safety improvements along Wongan Hills Waddington Road as part of the Regional Road Safety Program (RRSP) Local Roads - Tranche 2.
The funding forms part of the Western Australian Government's recent announcement of almost $34 million for 24 regional road safety projects across the State, supporting improvements across more than 430 kilometres of local government roads.
The Victoria Plains project will deliver approximately 10.15 kilometres of road safety upgrades on Wongan Hills Waddington Road between Piawaning and Great Northern Highway. Works will include shoulder sealing together with audible edge and centre line treatments designed to reduce the likelihood and severity of run-off-road and head-on crashes.
Shire President Cr Pauline Bantock said the funding would help continue important road safety improvements on one of the district's key transport routes.
"Road safety remains one of the most important challenges facing regional communities, where people regularly travel long distances for work, education, healthcare and essential services," Cr Bantock said.
The investment builds on the Shire's successful participation in Tranche 1 of the Regional Road Safety Program, which secured more than $3.25 million in funding for road safety improvements across two priority routes. This included $2.43 million to seal shoulders and install audible line markings on Toodyay Bindi Bindi Road, together with $823,000 to undertake similar treatments on sections of Wongan Hills Waddington Road.
The new Tranche 2 funding will expand on those earlier works, extending safety improvements along a further section of Wongan Hills Waddington Road and creating a longer, safer corridor for road users throughout the district.
Wongan Hills Waddington Road was identified as a priority project due to its role as a key link between local communities and the Great Northern Highway, while also supporting freight movements, agricultural activity, school bus services and regional travel. The nominated section currently contains relatively narrow seal widths and limited safety treatments across much of the route, making it well suited to shoulder sealing and audible line marking upgrades.
Road safety continues to be a significant issue across regional Western Australia. Between 2020 and 2024, regional roads accounted for 3,102 people killed or seriously injured, including 528 fatalities. In the Wheatbelt alone, 781 people were killed or seriously injured during the same period, including 153 fatalities. Common crash types included vehicles hitting roadside objects, running off the road, or crossing onto the wrong side of the carriageway, while speed, fatigue and driver inattention were identified as major contributing factors.
Shire CEO Sean Fletcher said programs such as the RRSP play an important role in helping local governments improve safety outcomes on regional roads.
"While regional communities make up a smaller share of Western Australia's population, they continue to experience a disproportionate share of serious road trauma," Mr Fletcher said.
"Funding programs such as the RRSP are vital in helping local governments deliver projects that improve safety outcomes for everyone who uses our roads."
Cr Bantock said the project would deliver benefits well beyond road safety alone.
"Wongan Hills Waddington Road is an important route for residents, visitors, freight operators, agricultural businesses and school bus services, and these improvements will help ensure it continues to safely support our community and local economy," she said.
Mr Fletcher said the cumulative investment represented a major commitment to safer roads across the Shire.
"Through Tranche 1 and Tranche 2, more than $5.2 million has now been secured to improve safety on some of the Shire's most important road corridors. This investment will help ensure our roads continue to support the needs of our community both now and into the future."
The project is expected to commence in October 2026 and be completed in 2027, subject to procurement and construction schedules. The works are anticipated to support local employment during delivery, while delivering long-term safety improvements for all road users travelling through the region.
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