What a difference a road makes?

Transport systems in remote Australia are studied extensively by the Transport Futures research program of the Cooperative Research Centre for Remote Economic Participation (CRC-REP). As part of this research, there is a specific interest in road infrastructure as it constitutes a critical issue in remote Australia. In particular, the difference between sealed and unsealed roads access for remote and very remote communities remains under investigated. The current view is that even if there are lots of examples of remote communities which would greatly benefit from sealed roads, dirt roads are less expensive both to build and to maintain. Supplying a high number of small communities with sealed roads could rapidly constitute a financial burden for local governments and shires. So what makes a sealed road economically viable? And what are the costs associated with not having reliable, inclusive and performing road management systems in place for the life-lines that represent access roads for remote communities. Plotting primary data collected during a transport survey undertaken in remote Aboriginal communities in Central Australia in a new type of economic model allows responding to these questions. Moreover the financial consequences of not having a sealed road link as well as the real-life cost-benefit ratios of several road management scenarios for remote communities are estimated. Opportunities for community development projects are discussed as well as potential for future research.

• Record URL:
  http://arrbknowledge.com
• Authors:
  • Spandonide, B
  • Holyoak, N
  • Stazic, B
  • Zito, R
• Conference:
  • ARRB Conference, 27th, 2016, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
• Publication Date: 2016-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 14p
• Monograph Title: Linking people, places and opportunities: 27th ARRB Conference, 16-18 November 2016, Melbourne, Victoria

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accessibility; Economic analysis; Economics; Indigenous peoples; Regional planning; Rural areas; Types of roads by network
• Uncontrolled Terms: Policy and planning; Road networks
• Geographic Terms: Australia; Northern Territory
• ATRI Terms: Accessibility; Economic analysis; Indigenous Australian; Regional planning; Road network; Rural area; Sealed road; Transport economics
• ITRD Terms: 263: Economics of transport; 2774: Low traffic road
• Subject Areas: Economics; Highways; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01622890
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• Files: ITRD, ATRI
• Created Date: Jan 24 2017 12:01PM