Main Roads Western Australia
 |
|
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1 January 1930 |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Western Australia |
| Agency executive |
|
| Parent agency | Department of Transport |
| Website | mainroads.wa.gov.au |
Main Roads Western Australia (formerly the Main Roads Department) is an agency of the Government of Western Australia that is responsible for implementing the state's policies on road access and main roads. It operates under the Main Roads Act 1930 (WA).
The Department manages more than 17,800 kilometres of roads, representing the arterial road network in Western Australia. Each of the roads must be declared a "public highway" or "main road" in the Government Gazette and is allocated a state route number – many roads perceived as main roads by the public are in fact managed by local councils.
Main Roads Western Australia also regulates heavy vehicles through the issue of permits and notices under the authority granted to the Commissioner of Main Roads under the Road Traffic Act 1974. The Road Transport Compliance Section, a section within the Department, employs Transport Inspectors who, alongside police officers, monitor heavy vehicle movement and enforce the Road Traffic Act 1974.
The first roads in Western Australia were built during the settlement of the Swan River Colony in the late 1820s. Prior to this, narrow bush tracks had been used by the local Aboriginal people. In 1871, local governments were established, often called Road Boards in rural areas. Their primary function was to create and maintain the roads network in their local areas. Most of these rural roads, especially in the Wheatbelt, connected farms to the state government's extensive rail network, usually covering a distance of less than 20 miles (32 km). By the end of World War I, technology such as the internal combustion engine had advanced considerably. Following the war, there was a tenfold increase in the number of motor vehicles in Western Australia, from 2,538 in 1918 to 25,270 in 1927. Motor transport was very efficient compared to horse-drawn vehicles, and also more efficient than railways for short distances. In 1923, recognising the importance of road transportation, the Commonwealth government began granting a combined total of £500,000 per year to the state governments for road improvement works. In 1926, the funding level was increased, with Western Australia allocated £672,000. The Roads and Bridges Branch of the State Government's Public Works Department would not be able to spend such a large amount of money, so a Main Roads Board was established in July 1926. The board worked in cooperation with local governments, taking over the development of significant roads, and providing assistance for others. District offices were set up in regional areas to better coordinate work undertaken there, and liaise with those local governments.
...
Wikipedia