NATIONAL BLACK SPOT PROGRAMME

NOTES ON ADMINISTRATION

Part One – General matters.....................................................

Part Two – Black Spot Criteria..................................................

Part Three – Nomination and Approval Process.....................................

Part Four – Financial and Reporting Requirements..................................

Part Five – Information and Recognition..........................................

Appendix 1 – Treatment/Crash Reduction Matrix...................................

Appendix 2 – Programme Status Report...........................................

Appendix 3 – Annual Programme Summary Report..................................

Appendix 4 – Annual Financial Statement.........................................

Appendix 5 – Signs...........................................................

Part One – General matters

1. Definitions

These Notes on Administration are a guide to the administration of the National Black Spot Programme and should be read in conjunction with the Australian Land Transport Development Act 1988.

Definitions are the same as those set out in subsection 3(1) of the ALTD Act.  Other terms used in these Notes include:

The Act or the ALTD Act means the Australian Land Transport Development Act 1988

Minister means the Commonwealth Minister administering the ALTD Act or the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister.

RONI means Roads of National Importance.

LGA means Local Government Authority.

States means State road and transport agencies administering works under the Programme.

A reference to a State or the States includes the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.

2. Outline of the National Black Spot Programme

Objective

The objective of the Programme is to reduce the social and economic costs of road trauma by:

• the identification and cost effective treatment of locations with a record of casualty crashes;

• placing significant focus on the need to reduce rural road trauma, in accordance with national road safety policy objectives; and

• using a proportion of funds to treat sites, lengths of roads and areas which have been identified as potential crash locations through official road safety audits, and to implement other road safety measures.

Federal funding for this Programme, which primarily focuses on cost effective treatment of hazardous road locations, reflects the Government's commitment to a national objective of a lower Australian road toll.

The Programme aims to provide financial assistance to improve the physical condition or management of locations noted for a high incidence of crashes involving death and injury, often termed ‘black spots’.  It also aims to encourage implementation of safety-related traffic management techniques and other road safety measures that have proven road safety value.

Eligibility

Funds under the Programme are available for works on public roads regardless of ownership or control, other than declared National Highways and sections of declared Roads of National Importance where separate funding is available.

The Programme aims to fund cost effective safety-oriented projects.  Submissions are expected to focus on locations where the highest benefits can be achieved.  Works eligible for funding may include any safety-related construction, alteration or remedial treatment.

Urban and Rural Black Spots

Around 60 per cent of fatal crashes and 50 per cent of serious injury crashes occur outside metropolitan areas.  The need to reduce road trauma in rural areas was identified as a priority in the 1997 National Road Safety Package.  The National Road Safety Strategy 2001-2010 specifically targets inhabitants of rural and remote areas in its strategic objective to improve equity among road users.

In recognition of this, approximately 50 per cent of black spot funds in each state (other than Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory) will be reserved for projects in non-metropolitan areas.

For the purpose of this provision, metropolitan areas are defined, on the basis of Australian Bureau of Statistics statistical divisions, as cities and towns with a population in excess of 100,000.  The urban-rural criterion is not applied to Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory.

Community Contributions

Community participation and joint funding of projects is encouraged.  National Black Spot Programme funds are available to treat the core road safety problem(s) at locations.  Applications which indicate a commitment of funds, labour or materials from other government or  community/industry sources for associated works will receive favourable consideration.

Eligible Costs

The Programme will fund all costs directly associated with an approved project.  Administrative overheads are indirect costs and therefore are not eligible for funding.  Ongoing running costs are not eligible for funding.

Funds are not available for the purchase of road-building plant or equipment, for costs incurred after installation or for maintenance costs.

Funding will not be provided for Goods and Services Tax (GST) paid on supplies as States and LGAs can obtain the full input tax credits for these amounts.  All cost estimates provided in respect of the program must be net of the GST cost component on supplies.

To achieve maximum effect from the Programme, the emphasis will be on low-cost, high-return projects.  Projects where the Commonwealth’s contribution is estimated to cost less than $750,000 will be given priority consideration.

Administration

The Programme is administered on behalf of the Federal Government by the Department of Transport and Regional Services (DOTARS).  State road and transport agencies will manage programmes of works within each state.

States must observe conditions relating to funding arrangements in the Act, set out in these Notes on Administration or advised by the Minister.

The Commonwealth expects states to retain their existing expenditure patterns on black spot programmes.  In the final determination of allocations to states, the Minister will take into account whether a state has maintained its own spending on black spot projects.

The Minister has invited each state to participate in a consultative panel comprising, as appropriate, representatives of the relevant state road and transport agency, local government, and community and road user groups.  The purpose of the panels is to consider and comment upon all nominations for black spot treatment within a state.  The Minister will consider and endorse the final composition of the consultative panels, including appointment of the Chair.

The panels are serviced by the state road and transport agencies.  Agencies will provide expert input to the consultative panels, particularly with regard to the collation and assessment of site nominations.

The contact in the Department for National Black Spot Programme matters is:

Director

Investment Policy and Black Spot Section

South East Branch

Transport Programmes Division

Department of Transport and Regional Services

GPO Box 594

CANBERRA ACT 2601

For information about the Programme, please contact the Black Spot Programme Manager on (02) 6274 7111.  The facsimile number is (02) 6274 7677.

The programme’s email address is:  blackspot@dotars.gov.au

Further information on the programme can be found on the Department’s web site at: http://www.dotars.gov.au/transprog/road/blackspot

Part Two – Black Spot Criteria

1. Proposals based on crash history

Funding is mainly available for the treatment of black spot sites or lengths with a proven history of crashes.  Project proposals of this sort must be able to demonstrate a benefit to cost ratio (BCR) of at least 2.  It is suggested that a discount rate of 5% be applied in assessment of proposals.

For discrete sites (eg, an intersection, mid-block or short road section) the minimum eligibility criterion will be a history of at least three casualty crashes over a five-year period. 

For road lengths the minimum eligibility criterion is an average of 0.2 casualty crashes per kilometre per annum over the length in question measured over five years OR the length must be amongst the top 10% of sites identified in each state which have an identified higher crash rate than other roads.

Note: measures of casualty crashes should be provided from the most recent available 5 year period.

A table of crash reduction potentials for typical treatments is provided at Appendix 1 to assist crash analysts and traffic management engineers.  The table is not intended to replace more detailed information and professional judgement that may be available at the local level.

For guidance on crash location identification and treatment, practitioners are referred to Austroads guidelines.

2. Road Safety Audit proposals

In addition to the above, up to 20% of programme funds are available for the treatment of sites, lengths or areas which may not meet the above crash history criteria, but which have been recommended for treatment on the basis of an official road safety audit report.

A suitable standard for completion of a road safety audit is described in the Austroads ‘Road Safety Audit’ guidelines  (AUSTROADS Publication No. AP-30/94 or AP-G30/02).

Part Three – Nomination and Approval Process

1. Nominations

Nominations of sites are invited from state and local governments, community groups, clubs and associations, road user groups and industry.

All nominations are to be referred to:

The Black Spot Consultative Panel
c/- State road and transport agency in your state. 

(A list of addresses for the state road and transport agency in each state is included on the back of the nomination form).

Nominees should be aware that site nominations which fail to confirm the basic eligibility criteria in regard to crash history or road safety audit will not be considered for approval.

On receipt of a site nomination, the state road and transport agency will check the eligibility of the site and may undertake an economic assessment of a treatment proposal. 

All nominations will be referred for consideration by the consultative panel.

2. Programme Proposals

Each nomination should be considered by the Consultative Panel against the Programme criteria and ranked according to priority.  Ranking of proposals assessed on crash history should generally consider BCR.  For road safety audit nominations, DOTARS supports ranking of proposals on the basis of systematic risk assessment methodology.

Consultative panels should prepare a submission for consideration of the Minister, which lists nominated black spot proposals and includes comment, where appropriate, on proposals.  The projects recommended should be capable of completion within the time frame of the Programme.

The Minister may consider a programme made up of projects submitted by a state Consultative Panel and other projects nominated by the Minister that meet the objectives of the Programme.  The Minister may nominate Federal project priorities at any time if the need arises.

States must certify that proposals with significant environmental or heritage implications conform or will conform to the requirements of relevant Federal and state legislation (as amended from time to time).  Federally funded projects are subject to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and the provisions of Section 30 of the Australian Heritage Commission Act 1975.

States should endeavour to forward submissions to DOTARS for consideration by the Minister within 6 weeks of the Consultative Panel meeting.

3. Programme Approval Process

Upon receipt of the submission, DOTARS will prepare the necessary documentation for the Minister’s consideration of the State’s programme.

DOTARS will endeavour to forward the submission to the Minister for approval within 6 weeks of receiving all details of recommended projects from the State.

Eligible project proposals will be considered for approval according to a range of selection criteria, which are intended to maximise the safety benefits of the Programme.  In making an assessment of which projects will be approved for funding under the Programme, the Minister will take into account the following factors:

• whether the project is eligible
• economic benefits of the project;
• the funds available for urban and rural projects;
• the funds available for hazardous locations for which an official road safety audit report has been obtained;
• contributions to the project from sources other than the Commonwealth;
• whether the expected Commonwealth commitment to a project is less than $750,000; and
• whether the project can be completed within the timeframe of the Programme.

The Minister will declare projects as black spots or road safety measures under the Act and approve a programme of projects for each State.

State Ministers will be advised of the outcome of the Minister’s decision.  The Minister may announce publicly the approval of a state programme at the same time as notifying the states.

No public announcement concerning the programme or individual projects shall be made by a State agency or Minister before the federal Minister’s announcement.

4. Amendments to State Programmes

Formal variation of existing approvals should be sought where proposals are subject to significant change.  A significant change includes a difference in the cost of an individual project of 15% or $15,000, which ever is the lesser.

Part Four – Financial and Reporting Requirements

1. Payments

Funds will be paid directly to the states, which will be responsible for distributing project funds.

States will be advised of an indicative annual funding allocation for approved programmes.  An initial payment of up to 20% of total estimated programme cost may be made on approval. 

Thereafter, payments may be made on receipt of programme status reports.  Payments will be adjusted on the basis of actual expenditure incurred in the previous two months versus estimated expenditure for the subsequent two months.

2. Reporting

States will provide reports notifying DOTARS of the financial status of its approved programme, status of approved projects and annual performance measures.  Preferably, reports should be provided in electronic format (Excel spreadsheet or Microsoft Access). The ALTD Act requires states to provide annual financial statements. 

Summary of National Black Spot Programme reporting requirements

Programme status reports

Programme Status Reports consist of two elements

a)      a summary of Programme expenditure, on which payment is based, and

b)     details of the financial and physical status of approved projects.

The purpose of Programme Status Reports is to monitor both the physical status of approved projects, particularly regarding commencement of construction and completion, as well as the financial status of the program as a whole, to enable payments from the Commonwealth to match expenditure by the states.

Programme Status Reports are to be provided to DOTARS every second calender month.  A suggested format for the report is included in Appendix 2.

Annual Programme Summary Report

The purpose of the Annual Programme Summary is to monitor the overall performance of the programme in each state, to enable DOTARS to verify that States are meeting reasonable programme outputs, including timely commencement and completion of projects, and managing funding appropriately.

The Annual Programme Summary Report must include information on the performance indicators set out in Appendix 3. 

Explanations must be provided for projects not started or completed by within 12 months of project funding approval.  Projects not started within two years of approval will be automatically cancelled.

Information contained in the summary may be included in the annual ALTD report to Parliament.  The Annual Programme Summary Report covering the preceding financial year should be provided to DOTARS by 31 July each year. 

Annual Statement of Expenditure

Each state is required to submit to the Minister, as soon as practicable after 30 June each year, financial statements, in a form approved by the Minister, giving details of expenditure from amounts paid under the ALTD Act.  In preparing statements, states should have regard to the various requirements and conditions specified in the Act.

The approved format for statements of expenditure is at Appendix 4.  This format includes amounts expended or set aside during the financial year from amounts paid to the state under the Act.

The Act specifies that this statement must be accompanied by a certificate from the Chief Executive Officer and a report by an ‘appropriate person’ (auditor).  Details of these requirements are also set out in Appendix 4.

The statement should be completed and forwarded to DOTARS for Ministerial consideration no later than six (6) months following the end of the financial year for which expenditure is being reported.

The ALTD Act provides that if the Minister is not satisfied with the annual statement of expenditure, a State may be required to repay programme funds.

Part Five – Information and Recognition

1. Recognition

The Minister shall be responsible for publicity on approved projects funded from the Programme.  Publicity material prepared by a state is permissible where projects are at least equally funded by the Federal and state governments.  In this case, states shall advise DOTARS of impending publicity relating to approved projects.  Such publicity must be cleared by DOTARS before release and must acknowledge the Federal funding role.

2. Signposting

States shall erect signposting at approved Black Spot work sites, except where the project cost is less than $100,000.  Signs are to conform to wording and layout in Appendix 5.  These signs shall remain in place for at least two years.  A temporary sign is to be erected while construction work is in progress on projects less than $100,000.  Any other signposting relating to a project must be endorsed by the Minister.

3. Information and Inspections

Under the ALTD Act, a person authorised by the Minister may require any information about an approved project or programme or exercise the right to visit work sites at all reasonable times.  Any Commonwealth officer connected with administration of the National Black Spot Programme may, for example, undertake an inspection of state programme records, including crash diagrams and financial documents relating to individual projects.

4. Evaluation

It is of fundamental importance that this Programme be accountable for results in terms of outcomes.  To determine its actual effect on crashes, independent evaluation of the Programme may be conducted from time to time.  States will be expected to maintain adequate records so that appropriate data is available for this purpose and to make such data available in a timely manner when requested.

Appendix 1 – Treatment/Crash Reduction Matrix*

APPLICATION OF THE TREATMENT/CRASH REDUCTION MATRIX

Traffic crashes arise through a combination of factors and remedies can be sought through a variety of approaches.  This matrix focuses on traffic engineering remedies.  The matrix provides broad guidance only and is not intended to replace local experience or judgement.

Assuming that sites have been identified for treatment on the basis of a history of crashes or other systematic technique, crashes at the site should then be analysed in terms of the pattern of accident-types [DCA code] and any consistency of other factors.  If road-related factors are relevant to the amelioration of crashes at a site, this matrix can be used for guidance as to the influence of particular treatments.

The matrix provides 'ball-park' guidance on the estimated extent of change in crashes of particular types that might generally be expected from a range of typical treatments.  The reductions for the various treatments are averaged values and therefore the results [percent reduction] that will be observed when any particular treatment is installed may be greater or less than the value in the tables.

The selection of a particular treatment will of course depend on a range of factors, including the characteristics of crashes, the expected potential of reducing those crashes, the cost of alternative treatments, possible wider road network considerations, and so on.  The Australian Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices sets out minimum warrants for a number of treatments.

The matrix is divided into two tables:

Table 1: relates to intersections (and intersection-related crashes);

Table 2: relates to road sections (and non-intersection-related crashes).  This table is spread over two pages 2(a) and 2(b) for the ease of reading the information.

At some locations more than one road feature may be present, eg consider a tee intersection on a curved section of road - crashes of accident-type DCA codes 801-804 [run off road types] occurring at such a location would generally not relate to the intersection.  On the other hand, crashes of codes 101-109 would relate to traffic movements at the intersection.

The matrix tables emphasise the importance of the road user movements that lead up to the crash in the determination of appropriate treatments.  The average costs per casualty crash have been derived for Australia-wide use and are split by ‘Rural’ and ‘Metro’ environments and are based on there being good coding compatibility between the crash data being used and the “Definitions for Coding Accidents [DCA]”codes.

The crashes described by the DCA codes and the costs per crash for DCA codes relate to one-vehicle and two-vehicle crashes.  The vehicles encompassed are all road vehicles eg cars, trucks, motor bikes, and bicycles.  A treatment may be installed to provide for a particular vehicle type eg traffic signals for bicycles where a bicycle track crosses an arterial road, or the improvement of lighting at an intersection where there are many bicycles at night and, say, a history of crashes of DCA codes 301-304.

* Acknowledgment: This matrix was prepared by Dr David Andreassen of Data Capture Analysis

Table 1

Intersection Matrix - intersection related crashes

Note 1  For treatment code K 13, banning U-turns is a relevant treatment for DCA 207 with an estimated crash reduction of 50 %. [Costs for 207 - $104.8K (Metro) and $190.1K (Rural)] Banning left turns is a relevant treatment for DCA 203, 205, and 206 with a 50 % reduction.

Acknowledgment: This matrix was prepared by Dr David Andreassen of Data Capture Analysis

Table 2 (a)

Road Sections Matrix - non-intersection related crashes

Note 2 For treatment code S 11, the effect of removing objects that were hit after a vehicle left the road is to reduce crashes that relate to hitting the objects [DCA 703, 704, 803 & 804]. However, the reduction in these crashes will be matched by an increase in DCA 701, 702, 801 & 802 as vehicles will continue to leave the road, but now without hitting objects [all else being equal]. The net benefit relates to the difference in the cost of the accident-types.

Note 3 For treatment code S 19, DCA 501 is also relevant [use DCA 201 cost].

Acknowledgment: This matrix was prepared by Dr David Andreassen of Data Capture Analysis
Table 2 (b)

Road Sections Matrix - non-intersection related crashes

Note 4  For treatment code S 24, the effect will be that the injury outcome distribution will change within DCA codes 703, 704, 803, 804 rather than a reduction in the number of crashes per se. This gives reduced average number per crash of deaths and serious injuries and more minor injuries.

Note 5  Accident-type [DCA - “Definitions for Coding Accidents”] refers to the system of classifying crashes by the movements of road users leading up to the impact. Descriptions of the system are to be found in “Standard Accident Definitions: Primary Accident Classes and Accident Types, Andreassen, D., Australian Road Research, 13[1], pp 10-24, March, 1983” and various later versions.

Acknowledgment: This matrix was prepared by Dr David Andreassen of Data Capture Analysis

Programme Status Report

Programme Status reports should be in a format agreed with DOTARS and are to include the following information:

National Black Spot Programme

 [State ]    Programme Status Report for the period  __/__/__  to  __/__/__

Explanation of information required in Programme Status Report

Programme Status Reports should include the following information:

a) a Programme Summary of expenditure. (columns 1 to 3 on proforma)

b) Details of all current projects included in an Approved Programme, ie the financial and physical status of approved projects  (columns 4 to 11 on proforma)

Appendix 3 – Annual Programme Summary Report

States may submit Annual Programme Summary reports using the following pro-forma:

National Black Spot Programme

 [State ] Annual Programme Summary Report for 200_/__

Explanation of information required in Annual Programme Summary Report

Appendix 4 – Annual Financial Statement

FINANCIAL STATEMENT

NATIONAL BLACK SPOT PROGRAMME

Australian Land Transport Development Act (1988)

Statement of amounts expended or set aside for expenditure

from monies paid to the state of     

Line 1: Amount carried forward from year ended 30 June 200__ $________

Line 2: Amount received during year ended 30 June 200__  $________

Line 3: Amount expended during year ended 30 June 200__ $________

Line 4: Amount set aside during year ended 30 June 200__  $________

Note:  Line 1 + Line 2 must equal Line 3 + Line 4

(certificate of Chief Executive Officer)

(certificate of Auditor-General)

Dated ........../............/..........

The following certificates and report will be required in respect to the financial statement:

1. A certificate from the Chief Executive Officer or his/her delegate that:

• "Expenditure in accordance with the itemised break-up shown is for works carried out in accordance with the Act and the Notes on Administration."

2.      A report by an 'appropriate person', as determined by the Act, which in the case of a state road and transport agency is the Auditor General of the state, stating:

• whether the statement is in the form approved by the Minister;
• whether, in the person's opinion, the statement is based on proper accounts and records;
• whether the statement is in agreement with the accounts and records; and
• whether, in the person's opinion, the expenditure of money has been in accordance with the Act.

Appendix 5 – Signs

Signs erected at approved Black Spot sites must conform to the following wording and layout:

Reflective Class 2 on aluminium backing

Colour of background: white

Colour of circle: Black

Colour of cross and panel at base: Golden yellow or PMS 123

Colour of border and text: Freeway Green or PMS 342

Text: Helvetica condensed – bold   (height 58 mm)