I am pleased to announce the Rudd Labor Government will invest $420,000 to fix two dangerous black spots on local roads in Grayndler.

Nationally, the funding for the Black Spots Program for 2008/09 has been almost tripled from $50 million to $144.7 million under the Rudd Government's Nation Building plan to support jobs.

Road accidents take a huge toll on families and our communities and the Black Spot program is a very important way to make a real difference to local roads.

The two projects which have been approved in Grayndler are:

• $250,000 to install edge lines and reflectors and the installation of concrete islands to restrict right turn movements at some intersections on Frederick Street from Parramatta Road to Liverpool Road in Ashfield.


• $170,000 to install around 170 metres of pedestrian fencing on Parramatta Road around Flood Street in Leichhardt.

These projects were assessed and recommended by a panel of independent road safety experts.

The Black Spot program has a proven track record of saving lives with an evaluation of the Black Spot program showing that it has prevented at least 32 fatalities and more than 1,500 serious injuries in its first three years.

It also returns around $14 for every $1 invested by reducing the number and cost of crashes.

The Rudd Labor Government has more than doubled Black Spots funding as part of our Nation Building and Economic Stimulus Strategy. This will support local jobs and safer roads for our community.