- Perth metro becomes next region to transition maintenance in-house at Main Roads
- 111 employees join Main Roads to be based across the Perth Metropolitan Area
- More than 230 staff are now employed for in-house maintenance at Main Roads
- Policy to bring maintenance in-house is increasing capability, capacity and economic sustainability
More than 100 new and transitioning employees have made the move to Main Roads today, as the Agency continues returning maintenance and some minor capital works back in-house.
The staff will be responsible for the delivery of routine maintenance operations across the Perth Metropolitan Area.
Announced in April 2022, the policy to return maintenance and some minor capital works back in-house will see a total of 660 new and transitioned Main Roads jobs filled across Western Australia, helping to increase capability, capacity and economic sustainability.
Two positions have been newly recruited as part of the process, while 109 employees have joined the agency from existing contractors. The workers will be based at Main Roads' existing depots in Jandakot and Neerabup, along with the agency's head office in East Perth.
They join 48 employees who were welcomed to the Wheatbelt Region in October last year, 50 employees welcomed to the Mid-West Gascoyne Region in November last year, and 26 employees who joined Main Roads in the Goldfields Esperance Region earlier this month.
The transition process is being supported by the purchase, lease and upgrade of new and existing maintenance depots across WA. This includes a new location in Welshpool which will become the base for the Perth Metropolitan Incident Response Service and Bridge Maintenance Crew.
The Pilbara Region will be next to transition to Main Roads on 1 November 2023, followed by the South West and Great Southern Regions, with the Incident Response Service in February 2024. The Kimberley Region will be the final to transition in November 2024.
As stated by Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
"Our Government recognises the significant benefits of bringing maintenance back to Main Roads, and to see the metropolitan region transitioning back in-house is an important milestone.
"Road maintenance work was outsourced several decades ago, but the in-house delivery model helps us to increase the capability, capacity and sustainability of our road maintenance workforce, particularly in regional areas.
"Not only will these employees enjoy increased pay and improved conditions, it will mean we can respond more quickly and minimise impacts and disruption on our road network."
