How road sealing benefits communities and economies
Road Sealing is a technique done by applying a mixture to roads to shield them from wear and tear. Roads need to be well-maintained to ensure smooth travel of vehicles from one point to another.
Australia enjoys a huge land area, which is why the road system plays an important role in economic development. Here are ways road sealing positively impact the economy of local communities.
Road sealing boosts tourism.
Tourism has a big contribution to any country’s GDP. Here are some examples of regions that optimised their road network with road sealing to encourage tourists to visit.
Outback region
Tourism has been identified as one of the key industries that boosts Outback South Australia’s economy and development. This is based on the current opportunities and competitive and comparative advantages to increase the region’s economic activity.
Tourism has the biggest share in jobs, exports, and industry output of the Flinders Ranges area. Employment rates are significantly higher than other service industries. It also contributes approximately $9.4 million or 18% of the region’s total industry value-added.
A report was released in 2018 on the economic benefits of sealing the Strzelecki Track, a regional road that connects the towns Innamincka and Lyndhurst. It gave an important piece of infrastructure to support the growth of tourism in the Outback region and beyond. The Flinders Ranges is normally advertised together with the Outback – touted as one of the most iconic natural landscapes in the world. It capitalises on the closeness and interconnectedness of the two areas.
Upgrading the Strzelecki Track would improve the link between the Outback touring routes and Flinders Ranges. There will be direct access to major tourist attractions such as Lake Eyre. Touring routes in the northern areas of the region will also be popular to four-wheel drive fraternities.
New South Wales
In 2004, Bombala Shire exhausted all efforts to push the NSW Government to seal the Snowy River Way that connects Ando to Dalgety. Such move aims to boost its dwindling economy.
They strongly believed that the road opens opportunities for the Bombala township, Cathcart, and Dalgety. It is a natural connection between mountains and coasts. It will also be helpful for tourists travelling in caravans and the like. Older tourists will not use the road if not sealed adequately, and so Bombala is at risk of losing opportunities.
Road sealing provides easier access to essential goods and services.
Sealing a section of the road provides peace of mind to communities and businesses. They know that they have a resilient and safe means of access to towns and vital services such as education, health, and emergency services.
Queensland
A great example of this occurred in Queensland. In 2019, a much-needed road sealing in a big portion of Blackall-Jericho Road and Jundah-Quilpie Road was completed. The project created 16 jobs, reinforced safety, and boosted productivity across the region.
It also paved the way to getting access to essential goods, such as:
- Reaching Blackall, home to one of two organic sale yards in remote Australia, benefiting several graziers that need organic certification. This increased the amount of cattle moved through the district.
- Supporting road train movement that carries livestock and cypress pine from Tambo Mill to markets and facilities in the east.
Aside from these, road sealing delivers big long-term improvements in terms of road safety and efficiency. There will be lesser travel time, better visibility due to less dust, safer passing opportunities and less damage to vehicles. It also improves the livability of rural areas and supports long-term economic viability across the state.
Outback region
Sealing the Strzelecki Track helps boost the beef cattle industry in the Outback. There will be proximity to:
- Key suppliers providing hay and grain to ensure a stable supply of feeds for beef cattle
- Key livestock markets that decrease the time needed to transport beef cattle
A major issue affecting the country’s cattle industry is the Bluetongue Disease. Its presence has an impact on international trade markets for cattle. Sealing the Strzelecki Track makes it possible for cattle to be moved from areas outside the zone and diverted instead to South Australia.
Road sealing boosts the road freight industry.
Road Freight Transport facilitates reliable and fast door-to-door delivery nationwide. According to the Transport and Infrastructure Council:
- Remote and regional Australia has a significant contribution to the economy. Forty percent of the country’s GDP comes from this area.
- About 60% of mining and resource platform is located in remote Australia.
Between 2017 and 2018, approximately 529,000 individuals were directly employed on an FTE basis in the road industry. This includes both employees working on transportation of goods or people and employees that support these operations.
Based on the above information, it’s clearly essential that roads in remote areas have high quality. Well-maintained roads greatly contribute to the economy by providing following benefits, among others:
- Flexibility in aiding additional trips that wouldn’t have been taken for pleasure or business
- Connecting sea, air, rail, and inland port facilities to markets
Road sealing will help achieve target public transport infrastructure investment.
Australia is aiming to achieve stellar levels of building public transport infrastructure. This was brought upon by the Federal and State Government’s strong investment program for the next 5 years.
The COVID-19 outbreak and the related “infrastructure-led recovery” hastened public spending on road projects. BIS Oxford Economics projected road construction projects to increase to a maximum of $29 billion from 2023 to 2024 – approximately 68% of public investment.
Incorporating cost-efficient road sealing to these projects will reduce the occurrence of damage and avoid rework. By hitting the target number of public transport infrastructure, employment would increase and drive growth.
Northern Highways Bitumen supports economic growth with high quality road sealing materials
Indeed, high quality roads play a big role in the country’s economic growth. To ensure that the progress made is sustained for the years to come, cost-efficient road sealing materials should be used.
Are you looking for the best road sealing materials but working on a tight budget? Northern Highways Bitumen’s products can be used for residential, government, and commercial projects. Don’t hesitate to give us a call at 1300 858 751 or drop an email to sales@northernhighwaysbitumen.com.au for enquiries.
