The Royal Automobile Association of South Australia (RAA) has announced the opening of applications for its annual Regional Safety Grants, which offer $70,000 in funding for safety-related projects in regional South Australia.
Eligible non-profits, schools, and community groups can apply for grants of up to $10,000, with the deadline set for Oct. 8.
Since the program began in 2013, the RAA has provided nearly $500,000 in grants to support various initiatives aimed at improving regional safety.
Past recipients have included schools, community groups, and emergency services, which have used the funding for projects ranging from playground upgrades to safety equipment.
RAA Insurance CEO Tara Page highlighted the role the grants play in supporting regional communities.
“Our Regional Safety Grants have helped organisations from the West Coast to the Far North, the South East, and regions in between,” she said.
Last year’s grants went to groups such as:
Bute Early Learning and Primary School principal Richard Hall spoke about the community impact of the playground project, noting that the RAA grant helped lower the overall costs for the school.
“All of our students, including regular visitors from our Preschool and Early Learning Centre, absolutely love and adore the opportunities for challenge, socialisation, and joy brought about by having a wonderful playground in our school community,” Hall said, adding that the funding played a critical role in making the project a reality.
RAA is inviting regional organisations with a safety project in mind to apply for a grant. Applications have opened following the release of latest data from RAA’s Report a Road platform.
Road maintenance remains the top issue for South Australian motorists, according to latest data from the RAA’s Report a Road platform.
The platform, which allows drivers to report road infrastructure problems, received nearly 600 reports over the past two years, with 41% citing road surface concerns, such as potholes and cracks.
The RAA noted that reports of road surface problems were more prevalent in regional areas, making up 51% of submissions from those locations, compared to 37% from urban areas. Other concerns included issues with intersection design, signage, and pedestrian infrastructure.
Advocating on behalf of its members, the RAA has pushed for increased government investment to address an estimated $2 billion backlog in road maintenance. The organisation has proposed a $1 billion allocation over four years to improve road conditions across the state.
RAA senior manager for safety and infrastructure Charles Mountain pointed out the importance of addressing road issues in regional areas, where the condition of roads is often worse than in metropolitan Adelaide.
“The condition of some of our roads is concerning – especially in our regional network – and this is reflected in the feedback we’re receiving from our members year round via Report a Road,” he said.
The Report a Road platform has led to improvements in several areas, including road resurfacing and repairs in Adelaide and regional South Australia. The RAA’s traffic engineering team reviews submissions and works with relevant authorities to address the reported issues.
