Bundaberg Regional Council has been awarded the inaugural Yellow Ribbon Excellence Award for its ground-breaking road safety work over the past 12 months.
The Yellow Ribbon Excellence Award is presented by the National Transport Research Organisation (NTRO) and Safer Australian Roads and Highways (SARAH) Group to organisations which show excellence in road safety.
Bundaberg Regional Council has made the important step of introducing a Network Safety Plan to make its road network safer.
With road trauma starting to rise nationally for the first time in two decades, road safety – and particularly how to combat rising road fatalities and serious injuries – is in the spotlight.
Local governments control more than 75% of roads in Australia, and almost 45% of deaths occur on roads managed by Councils Australia-wide.
Tapping into ways to make local roads safer is an important part of reducing deaths and serious injuries on our roads.
Network Safety Plans assist Councils to prioritise investment to ensure the safest road network can be delivered within existing funding constraints.
Bundaberg Region Mayor Helen Blackburn said it was an honour to be the inaugural recipients of such a worthy award which placed its focus on safer roads for all.
“The Network Safety Plan, which we have developed in partnership with NTRO, means we’re taking a proactive and network-wide approach to road safety,” she said.
“With Council needing to balance affordability against providing safe and efficient transport solutions, this plan will allow us develop the safest road network within our means.
“The plan presents a model that fellow Councils throughout the country can apply in delivering safer roads for their communities.”
NTRO Executive Director Roads and Road Safety, Jeff Doyle, and SARAH Group Founder Peter Frazer, presented the award to Bundaberg Regional Council at the Council offices on Monday, November 18.
NTRO has aided BRC in producing its Network Safety Plans, while the SARAH Group is behind Australia’s flagship road safety awareness event, National Road Safety Week, held in May annually.
Jeff Doyle, NTRO Executive Director Roads and Road Safety congratulated Bundaberg Regional Council for the award achievement.
“We’re very proud to award the first Yellow Ribbon Excellence Award to Bundaberg Regional Council,” he said.
“Their people have shown great commitment to making their local roads safer, and it’s a wonderful step for a Council to take to combat road trauma and make a difference in their community, and those communities around them.
“Make no mistake, BRC is now a national leader in road safety through its initiatives.”
Peter Frazer, SARAH Group Founder and Organiser of National Road Safety Week said Council had shown great leadership by taking steps to improve road safety in the region.
“Network Safety Plans have been shown to assist Councils greatly. Here we have a Council taking proactive steps to reduce road trauma and make their ratepayers and road users safer,” he said.
“Congratulations to BRC on this achievement.
“The Yellow Ribbon Excellence Award will be awarded by SARAH Group and NTRO regularly, and it’s a credit to BRC that the first of these awards is won by a Local Government Authority.”
