Update Newsletter June 2008
In this issue
- Road safety grants boost for 41 communities
- Tips for success
- Opportunities for 2008/09
- Updated Guidelines for 2008/09
Road safety grants boost for 41 communities
Congratulations to all successful applicants and thanks to all those groups that submitted an application. The TAC encourages all groups to continue to identify road safety issues in their community and potential solutions.
The first two rounds of the TAC Community Road Safety Grants attracted almost 60 applications. Of these applications, the TAC has awarded 41 grants totalling more than $700,000.
Applications were received from a diverse range of community groups including RoadSafe committees, local government, migrant resource centres, sporting groups and service clubs.
Projects in Rounds 1 and 2 covered a wide range of road safety issues. Several projects focused on improved road safety for new arrivals, others on reducing speed in local streets and some on drink driving awareness. Pedestrian, cycling and child road safety were also common themes.
Below is a summary of successful applications.
Round 1: Approved projects
| Organisation | Focus | Grant |
|---|---|---|
| City of Greater Dandenong | Reducing speed in 50 km/h local streets | $10,000 |
| City of Greater Dandenong | Raising awareness of 40 km/h speed limits | $20,000 |
| Greater Shepparton City Council | Reducing drink driving on weekend nights | $20,000 |
| Maribyrnong City Council | Supporting newly arrived migrants to be safe road users with support of volunteers | $20,000 |
| Northern Grampians Shire Council | Reducing speed and run off road crashes on rural roads | $14,580 |
| Shire of Yarra Ranges | Raising awareness of and increasing compliance in school speed zones | $20,000 |
| The City of Greater Geelong | Safe and legal motorcycling by young people | $19,965 |
| Lions Club of Dookie Inc | Improving pedestrian safety on rural roads | $17,545 |
| Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League Inc | Reducing drink driving and raising road safety awareness for players and supporters | $20,000 |
| Mt Martha Primary School | Increasing pedestrian safety and reducing traffic congestion at school drop off and pick up times | $18,194 |
| New Hope Migrant and Refugee Centre, Frankston | Volunteer supported driver education program | $18,760 |
| RoadSafe Mildura Inc | Development of road safety strategy and actions through community consultation | $11,946 |
| RoadSafe Wimmera | Reducing drink driving culture in sporting clubs | $15,480 |
| UnitingCare Moreland Hall | Providing road safety information to young people affected by alcohol and drugs | $20,000 |
| Wonthaggi Neighbourhood Centre at Mitchell House Inc | Volunteer-supported driver education project | $9,420 |
| Bendigo Regional YMCA Youth Services Inc | Increasing awareness of driver distractions in community settings | $20,000 |
| Diversitat (Geelong Ethnic Communities Council) | Volunteer-supported driver education project | $20,000 |
| Footscray Football Club trading as Spirit West Services | Volunteer-supported bicycle edcuation program | $20,000 |
| Latrobe Community Health Service Inc. | Increasing the safety of older bicyclists with support of volunteers | $18,060 |
| Lead-On Australia (Ballarat) | Volunteer-supported driver education project | $20,000 |
Round 2: Approved projects
| Organisation | Focus | Grant |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Multicultural Education Services | Volunteer-supported driver education project | $19,865 |
| City of Darebin | Addressing hoon behaviour and road safety for cyclists and child pedestrians | $10,500 |
| City of Stonnington | Hand held breathalysers in licensed premises targeting 30+ year olds to reduce drink driving | $19,800 |
| Colac RoadSafe - Ian 'Titch' Burnett Memorial Driver Reviver | Improving to driver reviver site at Colac to encourage more drivers to rest / Improving driver reviver program | $12,500 |
| Community Connections (Vic) Pty Ltd | Volunteer-supported driver education project | $7,500 |
| Cycling Promotion Fund | Providing on line multimedia clips for cyclists to avoid key crash risks | $20,000 |
| Frankston City Council | Reducing drink driving on weekend nights | $20,000 |
| Hampton Primary School | Creating safe access to school for all road users | $20,000 |
| Heathdale Neighbourhood Association | Reducing speed in local streets | $16,550 |
| Hobsons Bay City Council | Developing a new road safety strategy | $5,000 |
| Maroondah City Council | Volunteer-supported driver education project | $19,815 |
| Melbourne Anglican Benevolent Society inc. | Volunteer-supported driver education project | $20,000 |
| Mount Eliza Secondary College | Developing materials for community program targeting Learner drivers | $20,000 |
| Northern Grampians Shire Council | Translating road safety information for international professionals and students | $4,595 |
| RoadSafe Mildura | Improving road sharing by cyclists and drivers | $15,400 |
| Surf Coast Shire | Reducing drink driving and drink walking during key youth event | $20,000 |
| The Association of Hazaraz in Victoria Inc (AHV) | Volunteer-supported driver education project | $19,865 |
| Warrnambool City Council | Educating community on BAC levels to reduce drink driving | $17,180 |
| Whittlesea Community Connections | Volunteer-supported driver education project | $20,000 |
| Banyule City Council | Assisting reduction of risk taking behaviour in cars in local community | $19,997 |
Tips for success
The Assessment Panel is chaired by the TAC and draws representatives from key community and road safety organisations including VicRoads, Police, Municipal Association of Victoria, Local Government Professionals and the RACV.
The panel was delighted to see the diversity of groups applying for grants and the range of projects submitted for funding. Like any new program, there was a need to seek further information from applicants and let others know their applications were not suitable for funding or required more work. All applicants that did not receive funding should have received feedback as to why they were not successful.
The panel provided the following information and 'tips' to assist community groups preparing future applications:
Local government road safety strategy updates
Successful applications were able to:
- articulate the successes and limitations of Council's previous road safety strategy and how they would address limitations in the future
- provide evidence of local road safety issues through data and other information
- demonstrate a good understanding of the updated arrive alive 2008-17
- link their strategy development to other Council plans such as Community Safety, Youth, Sustainable Transport, Cycling or Early Childhood.
One project that has been funded involves consultation with community groups to identify road safety issues and discuss options to address those problems.
It was pleasing to see applications that defined commitment by the Council in partnership with one or more community groups to implement key road safety solutions in their area.
Speed management in local streets
Successful applications provided evidence of speeding issues in their communities. This evidence came from Police or through community engagement with affected residents or target groups.
One application identified the need to confirm anecdotal feedback of speeding and hooning in local streets. The group will consult with the community, identify speeds using speed measurement devices and implement a program targeting this behaviour in an effort to reduce speeding in local streets.
The SafeRoads Not so fast! package provides information and advice about the implementation of programs to address speeding issues in local communities. The TAC would encourage community groups to refer to this package when preparing an application to address speed issues. Visit www.mav.asn.au/saferoads and click on 'Media & Publications'.
Schools
When assessing applications from childcare centres, pre-schools and schools, the panel looked for evidence that applicants had a good understanding of the traffic safety education resources available free of charge that target pre-schools, primary schools and secondary schools.
The new school resources have been developed on best practice principles for teaching and learning and follow sound road safety theory. More so, the panel was looking for evidence that the resources were already being implemented in schools and that the school was targeting parents to better role model safe road behaviour. The proposed project could then be expressed as a next step in making the school and its local community safer.
Drink driving issues
The panel was pleased to receive applications from community groups that proposed projects to decrease the incidence of drink driving in local communities. Again, applications that provided evidence of drink driving, obtained from Police or local crash statistics, and identified sound project ideas received high scores.
Successful projects included the purchase of breathalyser units for loan to community groups and sporting clubs to assist in driver education on personal BAC levels and standard drinks. Importantly, the successful projects also included delivery of other community based programs such as RoadSafe's 'Looking after our mates' and the Australian Drug Foundation's 'Good Sports' program.
The TAC encourages communities that can demonstrate drink driving problems to consider projects to address this serious road safety issue.
Opportunities for 2008/09
The closing dates for applications in the 2008/09 financial year are:
- Round 3: 12 September 2008
- Round 4: 13 February 2009
Applications must be received at the TAC no later than 4.00 pm on the closing date.
With the TAC move to Geelong in 2009, Round 4 applications should be sent to:
Transport Accident Commission
Community Road Safety Grants
60 Brougham Street
GEELONG VIC 3220
To discuss your project idea, please contact the Road Safety Grants Officer on (03) 9664 6954. From January 2009, the number will be (03) 5225 6954.
