2024-25 CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

Black Spot Programs are a vital part of the State's commitment to improving road safety and reducing road crashes and trauma on South Australian roads.

Black Spot Programs directly target improvements to the safety of roads with proven crash history or high-risk locations.

These programs are very effective in reducing the risk of crashes and saving the community many times the cost of the relatively minor road improvements that are implemented.

Black Spot Programs

The Australian Government Infrastructure Investment Black Spot Program is funded by the Australian Government.  Funding is subject to annual approval by the Australian Government Minister for the The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.

The Australian Government Infrastructure Investment Black Spot Program encourages local government and community organisations to submit nominations for South Australian to the Department for Infrastructure and Transport (the Department). For 2024-25 nominations, please refer to the updated criteria.

The Department for Infrastructure and Transport, South Australia is now calling for project nominations of infrastructure investment projects for 2024-25 aimed at significantly reducing serious road casualties on South Australian roads.

Things to consider before you nominate:

• Identify the problem you believe is associated with this site,
• Have you contacted and consulted with the local road authority?
• Determine if there have been 3 or more casualty crashes at this site within the last 5 years (2018-2022). A casualty crash is defined as either a fatal or injury crash. It excludes vehicle property damage only crashes.

Note- Black Spot Projects do not include red light or speed cameras, vegetation control or maintenance concerns.

Do you want to nominate a Black Spot?

Please use the nomination form and guidelines on this page or contact your relevant road authority:

• Arterial roads and highways - Department for Infrastructure and Transport DIT.SABlackspots@sa.gov.au
• Local roads - The relevant local Council http://location.sa.gov.au/viewer

Who can nominate?

State and local road authorities, community groups, associations, road user groups, industry and individuals are encouraged to submit a nomination either direct or through the relevant road authority.

How to apply for funding

1. Read Criteria and Guidelines

• Black Spot Program Criteria (DOC, 76 KB)
• Notes on Administration for Nation Building Black Spot Program (2019-20 to 2023-24) (PDF, 2682 KB)
• Black Spot Program Guidelines (DOC, 741 KB)

2. Fill and submit Nomination Form

• Black Spot Nomination Form (DOCX, 130 KB)
• Black Spot Nomination Form (PDF, 288 KB)

Please email the complete Nomination Forms with supporting information to DIT.SABlackspots@sa.gov.au

For reactive projects, the 'Benefit Cost Ratio' (BCR) is required for nominations, based on crash history. There are two methods which can be used to calculate the BCR, this is the BITRE methodology or the Austroads crash type method. Either of the method can be used to determine the highest benefit. *Ensure that the Macros are enabled before using either of these spreadsheets.

Note that the latest BCR spreadsheet must be used, as it adopts crash cost methods derived from the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) and updated crash type costs for Austroads method. This will also make the BCR method consistent with those used in other Department for Infrastructure and Transport road safety programs.

• Estimating Manual for Roads and Rail (Rev 2) (PDF, 3084 KB)
• Estimating Template for Council Nominations < $150,000 (DOCX, 391 KB)
• Black Spot BCR Spreadsheet - BITRE* (XLS, 373 KB)
• Black Spot BCR Spreadsheet - Austroads* (XLS, 359 KB)

These templates, forms and supporting information must be used to prepare nominations. Submit all information using the online application form to the contact provided in the “Black Spot Contacts” section.

Incomplete or late nominations will not be considered.

3. Additional information/resources for use in submitting nominations

• Council Casualty Crash Maps and Crash Summaries (2018 - 2022) password required
• DIT Black Spot and Black Length (2018 - 22) password required
• Adelaide Statistical Division Map

Note that the crash data is confidential and is SAPOL data that has been given to the Department and Councils for Crash Analysis purposes only. This data or the user name/password is not to be distributed. The crash data is often still preliminary and may change as investigations are undertaken.

The Department and Councils - Please contact DIT.SABlackspots@sa.gov.au to be sent the user name and password. This user name and password is the same as for the 2023-24 Nomination Call.

4. How are Black Spot programs approved?

The South Australian Consultative Black Spot Panel assesses and endorses recommended nominations for the Australian Government funded Black Spot Program for consideration and approval by the Australian Government.

Panel members include: Representative for the South Australian Minister for Road Safety; Representatives from the Local Government Association; Royal Automobile Association of South Australia; Bicycle SA; South Australian Freight Council; South Australian Road Transport Association; the Traffic Management Association of Australia; the Australian Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications and the Department.

To reflect the specific inherent risks at level crossings, nominations for level crossing related projects will be assessed independently of road nominations. A Road Safety Audit report is not mandatory for level crossing nominations.

Program Administration

The Department is responsible for assessing nominated projects, recommending projects for approval by the Australian Government for the program.

Once projects are approved and underway, the following templates and forms under 'Administration Forms' must be used.

Councils receiving Black Spot funding are required to enter into a funding deed with the Department.

Administration Forms

• Variation to Cost or Scope / Withdrawal Form (DOC, 407 KB)
• Quarterly Reporting Template (DOC, 119 KB) (use for progress reporting purposes)

5. Additional information/resources for physically completed projects

Once the project is physically completed the following information is required for funds to be released.

• Black Spot Claim Form (DOC, 1062 KB) (use for progress payments)
• Project Completion Report Form (DOC, 408 KB) (submit to the Department at project completion)
• Additional information such as invoices raised during construction and photos of the completed projects including a photo displaying Australian Govt. Black Spot signage.

Note:  As of January 2024 the signage guidelines have been updated. Please refer to page 25 of the signage guidelines. 

Australian Govt. signage guidelines   (PDF, 5594 KB) should be referred for Black Spot program fully funded by the Australian Government.

Other reporting requirements as per Funding Deed or other requirements – i.e. project physical & financial status shall be provided to the Department's contact.

Black Spot Contacts

For information about Black Spot programs and project nominations, please contact:

Ty Edwards
Road Safety Engineer
Department for Infrastructure and Transport 
GPO Box 1533, Adelaide SA 5001
Email: DIT.SABlackspots@sa.gov.au

For information about Level Crossing related projects, please contact:

Anne-Marie Egges
Project Officer
Department for Infrastructure and Transport
GPO Box 1533, Adelaide SA 5001
Email: DIT.SABlackspots@sa.gov.au

Approved Black Spot Programs for 2022-23

• Australian Government Black Spot 2022-23 (DOCX, 50 KB)

Approved Black Spot Programs for 2023-24

• Australian Government Black Spot 2023-24 (DOCX, 50 KB)

Please refer to the attached link for the latest list of prequalified auditors and assessors for Road Safety Audits and Restricted Access Vehicle Routes Assessments.