Road safety in South Gippsland has been given a boost after South Gippsland Shire Council received a slice of a $1 million Transport Accident Commission grants program.

Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Harriet Shing MP this week congratulated South Gippsland Shire Council after it was successful in securing funding for a project designed to save lives and prevent serious injuries on South Gippsland roads.

The TAC’s Community Road Safety Grants Program provides grants of up to $25,000 to local councils, schools, community and not-for profit registered groups who can identify a road safety issue and come up with a proposal to fix it.

South Gippsland Shire Council received $22,000 to purchase a new variable message sign, which will monitor and promote speed limit compliance. It will also warn motorists of changed traffic conditions in high-risk areas.

The variable message sign will help reduce speed-related crashes in residential and highway zones in addition to creating a safer environment for pedestrians around school zones.

South Gippsland Shire Council was among 23 Victorian community groups to receive funding for local road safety projects under the latest round of Community Road Safety Grants.

Harriet Shing MP encouraged all local community and not-for-profit organisations in the Gippsland region with proposals to make local roads safer to submit an application for the next round of grants before applications close on 14 August.

Application forms and additional information is available at www.tac.vic.gov.au or by contacting the Community Road Safety Grants officer on (03) 5225 7517 or crsg@tac.vic.gov.au.

The following comments can be attributed to Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Harriet Shing MP:

“Road trauma is a very real issue in Gippsland and the impacts filter right through the local community.”

“Local ideas can often be the best solutions and we want local groups in Gippsland to identify road safety issues and propose a solution to make our community safer.”

“I encourage all community groups in Gippsland who have an idea how make our roads safer to submit a proposal for the next round of funding.”