POLITICS
Black Spot Funding to improve safety
at 84 sites across NSW
Road safety across New South Wales is set to receive a major boost, with almost $ 42 million committed to improve 84 dangerous sites under the 2025 – 26 Black Spot Program funding round. The projects will be delivered over a three-year period and focus on reducing serious crashes and saving lives on some of the state’ s highest-risk roads.
The Black Spot Program targets locations where a history of crashes has occurred, or where there is a high risk of serious incidents. Funding is used to deliver proven safety treatments such as new traffic lights, roundabouts, pedestrian crossings, safety barriers, street lighting and intersection upgrades.
All 84 projects were recommended by the NSW Black Spot Consultative Panel, made up of local stakeholders who understand the most pressing safety issues in their communities and are best placed to identify priority sites.
The Government has significantly increased investment in the program, lifting national Black Spot funding to $ 150 million from 2025 – 26. This forms part of a broader response to the worsening national road toll, which also includes doubling Roads to Recovery funding from $ 500 million to $ 1 billion per year, and delivering nationally harmonised, high-quality data to better inform road safety decisions.
Importantly, anyone can nominate a Black Spot for consideration, including residents, community groups and councils, ensuring local voices continue to shape safety priorities.
Hawkesbury Projects- Over $ 5 Million in Local Upgrades
Seven projects in the Hawkesbury will share more than $ 5 million in funding, delivering a range of targeted safety improvements:
• March Street, Richmond- Raised islands with give-way signs and refreshed give-way line markings.
• The Driftway, Agnes Banks- Street lighting, guideposts with reflectors, additional semi-rigid barrier and a motorcycle underrun.
• Scheyville Road, Scheyville- Semi-rigid barrier, motorcycle underrun, guideposts with reflectors and audio tactile edge lining.
• Kurmond Road, Crooked Lane, Maddens Road and Slopes Road, Kurmond- Semi-rigid barriers, raised islands and Curve Alignment Markers( CAMs) to guide drivers through bends($ 1.5 million).
• Grose Vale Road and Bowen Mountain Road, Grose Vale- Removal of visual obstructions at intersections, installation of semi-rigid barriers and raised islands( almost $ 1.9 million).
• Yarramundi Lane, Agnes Banks- Raised threshold and semi-rigid barrier.
Federal Member Susan Templeman welcomed the funding, saying:
“ These are significant additional improvements for our area. It is part of the Albanese Government’ s ongoing commitment to working with Council and the NSW Government to improve local roads, which benefits Hawkesbury residents and visitors alike.”
For more information or to nominate a Black Spot location, visit the Australian Government’ s Infrastructure Investment website-, visit https:// investment. infrastructure. gov. au / about / local-initiatives / black-spotprogram.
Susan Templeman at the intersection at March St Richmond.
THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine. com. au ISSUE 189 // FEBRUARY 2026 21