The City of Busselton's Tuart Drive Tourist Drive Project has proceeded well, with construction of the roundabout at Layman Road and Tuart Drive now almost complete.

Shire President, Cr. Wes Hartley said "the project is strongly focused on providing Tuart Drive as a safe enjoyable tourist route and to make the Tuart Forrest a destination in its own right. It is pleasuring to see that the City of Busselton's request to Main Roads for a reduction in the speed limit to improve road safety was successful", Cr. Hartley said.

"Road users are now limited to 100km per hour for the entire route, with an additional reduction to 80km per hour when approaching the newly constructed roundabout", said Cr. Hartley.

The Shire would like to thank the Australian Government for its support of this project.  In December 2006 the Australian Government announced that the City of Busselton's application to the AusLink Strategic Regional Funding Program was successful.  The grant of $600,000, together with $300,000 of Shire funds, has enabled the City of Busselton to undertake the much needed upgrading of the Tuart Drive Tourist Way.

The AusLink Strategic Regional Programme is an Australian Government initiative designed to assist councils develop regional and local transport infrastructure supporting industry, tourism and economic development, while also offering assistance to improve access and sustainability for rural areas.

It has proved to be an important initiative targeting funds at feasible land transport projects that otherwise would not have been able to start for many years to come.  Projects funded under the Strategic Regional Programme sit between the AusLink National Network of interstate road and rail links funded by the Australian and state governments and our assistance to councils for local roads under the AusLink Roads to Recovery.

The remaining Tuart Drive works to be undertaken include upgrading the surface of the road by correcting numerous depressions to improve the road surface; alterations to line marking on the road to achieve a wider sealed shoulder to encourage a reduction in speed and increased safe use of the road by cyclists; weed removal and planting of local bush, groundcovers and understorey along the road verge. 

Media enquiries can be directed to the City of Busselton's Public Relations Officer, Julie Rawlings on 97810446 or julie.rawlings@busselton.wa.gov.au

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Tuart Drive Tourist Way Update.pdf	52.63 KB