• New Main Roads office established in Manjimup
• 39 road maintenance staff will be joining Main Roads in the Great Southern
• 20 road maintenance staff joining Main Roads in Manjimup
• Part of state-wide transition of road maintenance functions back into Government

Road maintenance in the Great Southern and South West regions has been given a major boost with 100 workers to join Main Roads as part of the State-wide transition of road maintenance functions back into Government.

A total of 39 road maintenance staff will be joining Main Roads in the Great Southern, while 61 will be joining
in the South West, where road maintenance will also be strengthened by the establishment of a new Main Roads office in Manjimup.

The Manjimup Office will accommodate 20 new staff and assist with increased road network management responsibilities.

I was joined earlier this month by the Deputy Premier and the Minister for Transport, the Hon. Rita Saffioti MLA, in Manjimup where we met the team and toured the new depot.

The addition of 100 staff across the Great Southern and South West takes the total number of staff joining Main Roads since the start of the transition to more than 350.

The WA Labor Government has been progressively moving road maintenance functions back to Main Roads since late 2022. Road maintenance functions were outsourced by the Liberal-National Government in the 1990s.

Shifting road maintenance functions back to Main Roads improves the pay and conditions for workers, and
also supports regional economies by creating sustainable local jobs.

Bringing road maintenance back in-house to Main Roads also supports the State's road network by improving
response times when issues arise, including during emergencies.

Comments attributed to Jane Kelsbie MLA, Member for Warren-Blackwood

"During my recent visit to the new Main Roads office in Manjimup with the Deputy Premier, we heard directly from the staff about how they'd transitioned into secure jobs locally – and they were very happy.”

“Creating sustainable regional jobs is part of our plan to create strong regional communities for the future.

"The transition process is going to deliver better outcomes for local workers, local economies, and local road
networks – not to mention road maintenance crews that are better placed to respond to issues when we need
them.

"Establishing this new office will provide a long-term regional employment opportunity for the South-West,
and a new local interface for Main Roads customers."

Media Contact: Elena Pratt 8984 3171