- Kimberley becomes final region to transfer road maintenance in-house
- More than 550 new positions have been created since the initiative started in 2022
- Initiative is supporting regional jobs and improving road maintenance outcomes
- Additional employment opportunities to be created in the coming years
The final phase of the Western Australia Labor Government's initiative to return road maintenance works in-house is now complete, with the Kimberley Region transitioning 18 new staff into Main Roads positions today.
Announced in April 2022, this landmark initiative was designed to shift from contracting out road maintenance to a new model involving the in-house delivery of road maintenance and some minor capital works.
The move to in-house delivery of road maintenance has now been rolled out to all seven regional Main Roads offices, as well as the Metropolitan area, including the Incident Response Services with more than 550 new permanent positions filled.
More than 420 of these jobs have been filled by employees previously working for contractors. Many of those workers now receive better pay and conditions and most importantly, have permanent jobs with Main Roads.
Not only is the initiative supporting more jobs in regional communities, but it is also helping improve the cost, efficiency and responsiveness of maintenance and minor capital works across the State's road network.
The Kimberley is the last Main Roads region to transition, with the process formally commencing in the Wheatbelt in October 2022.
Returning these critical functions back to Main Roads supports regional economies by creating sustainable local jobs and supports the State's road network by improving response times when issues arise, including during emergencies.
To support the initiative $48.8 million has been invested in new or expanded existing offices and maintenance depots in Manjimup, Broome, Karratha, Esperance, Neerabup, Jandakot and Welshpool.
As stated by Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
"Creating more jobs for Western Australians is one of our Government's top priorities, and bringing road maintenance functions back in-house at Main Roads is one way we are delivering that.
"Road maintenance work was outsourced by the Liberals and Nationals several decades ago, but the in-house delivery model has created hundreds of well-paid local jobs in regional communities across our State.
"Returning road maintenance in-house means better response times when maintenance and repair works are required, as we have the crews ready to respond.
"It has been very rewarding to see the transition process over the past two years, and to see how the change is delivering better outcomes for workers and regional economies."
As stated by Kimberley MLA Divina D'Anna:
"It's absolutely fantastic to see road maintenance returning to Main Roads in the Kimberley Region.
"We know firsthand how much the road network in the Kimberley can be impacted by severe weather. Having maintenance crews based here with Main Roads means that when urgent road works are required, the response will be quicker.
"Returning road maintenance is a big win for our local economy as it means more well-paid jobs being retained in our communities for the long-term."
