Funding is available for initiatives to improve the physical condition or management of locations with a record of casualty crashes, as well as sites identified as potential crash locations.
Key information
- Status: Open
- Grant amount: Up to $3,000,000
- Application opened: 16 October 2024
- Application closes: 13 December 2024, 5:00 pm
Program objective
The objective of black spot projects is to reduce the social and economic costs of road trauma by:
- identifying and applying cost-effective treatment of locations with a record of casualty crashes
- placing significant focus on the need to reduce rural road trauma, in accordance with national road safety policy objectives
- using a proportion of funds to treat sites identified as potential crash locations, and to implement other road safety measures.
The Black Spot Program makes an important contribution in reducing the national road toll under the National Road Safety Strategy and Action Plan, providing financial assistance to improve the physical condition or management of sites noted for a high incidence of crashes involving death and injury.
The Australian Government contributes up to 100 per cent funding for black spot projects under this program.
This program is administered by Transport for NSW.
This program is funded by Australian Government.
Eligibility
Who can apply
Nominations for black spot locations are invited from:
- local councils
- Community groups, associations, road user groups, industry, and individuals who can submit suggestions to their local council. Councils are responsible for then submitting the nominations for Local and Regional Roads.
Project eligibility
Urban:
- Must have at least three casualty crashes over a five-year period for locations less than three kilometres long.
- For locations three kilometres or longer, the average casualty crash rate must be at least 0.2 crashes per kilometre per year.
Rural:
- Must have at least two casualty crashes over a five-year period for locations less than three kilometres long.
- For locations three kilometres or longer, the average casualty crash rate must be at least 0.13 crashes per kilometre per year.
General requirements for both urban and rural areas:
- A Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) greater than two.
- The total project cost must be $3 million or less.
- Multi-year projects including development and delivery are eligible however development-only proposals are not eligible.
Proactive projects
- The total project cost must be three million dollars or less, and;
- must include a Safe Systems Assessment.
- A minimum of 30 per cent of Black Spot Program funds may be used for proactive projects (sites that may not meet the required urban or rural crash history criteria).
Types of projects funded under this program
The Australian Government provides funding to improve the physical condition or management of sites where crashes are occurring or are at risk of occurring.
Black Spot projects aim to implement safety-related traffic management infrastructure – including roundabouts, street lighting, pedestrian crossing facilities, line marking, and safety barriers.
Black spot projects undertaken as part of larger works
Discrete sites or lengths to be treated as part of a larger project or program of works may be nominated for Black Spot Program funding.
Any site or length must meet the eligibility criteria for funding and be accompanied by evidence that the crash statistics or Safe Systems Assessment supporting the nomination relate to the discrete site or length for which funding is sought.
What your application needs to include
For full details, refer to the Australian Government Black Spot Program Guidelines and the NSW Supplementary Guidelines.
Address the eligibility criteria:
For your nomination to be considered, you must provide the following information:
- location-specific information relating to the project
- relevant crash data for the specified five-year period (01/07/2018 to 30/06/2023) including a detailed crash diagram (for projects where crashes have occurred)
- site sketch or design
- detailed cost estimate showing breakdown of costs and risk-based contingency.
- Safe Systems Assessment (for proactive project nominations)
Start the application
All project proposals must be prepared and submitted through the Safer Roads Program Management System (Online Portal).
For access to the Safer Roads Portal as a first time user follow this link.
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: the Australian Government.
Transport will submit applications for approval to the Australian Government from April 2025.
Integrity checks and technical assessments will be held from mid-January 2025. Transport representatives undertake these checks and may contact councils if there is anything additional required to undertake these assessments and prepare the proposal for submission to the Safe Systems Assessment Panel.
Safe Systems Assessment Panels will be held in March 2025. Following the Panel information is prepared to present to the NSW Black Spot Consultative Panel for endorsement.
Support and contact
For further information or help with your application:
Greater Sydney contact: sydney.blackspot.nominations@transport.nsw.gov.au
Regional and outer metropolitan contact: pmsafety@transport.nsw.gov.au