Gladstone Men’s Shed handed $18.4K grant to implement Safer Senior Road Safety Driving Course

“This work will see us prioritise safety upgrades, improve driver education, make school zones safer and develop policies to reduce road crashes and trauma.”

Member for Gladstone Glenn Butcher MP with members of Gladstone Men's Shed faculty after unveiling an $18,400 grant.

A local men’s health organisation now had the capacity to save lives on Gladstone roads thanks to the latest round of Queensland Government grants.

The Gladstone Men’s Shed Association received $18,480 after being named a 2021 Community Road Safety Grants recipient.

The Association can now afford to roll out a Safer Senior Road Safety Driving Course, which Member for Gladstone Glenn Butcher was of paramount importance.

“These initiatives help the State Government achieve its vision of zero road deaths and serious injuries by creating a whole-of-life road safety education approach and building a positive road safety culture,“ Minister Butcher said.

“Road safety is everyone’s responsibility, and the Community Road Safety Grants program ensures local groups can come up with solutions for local issues.

“I congratulate our successful grant recipients and I have no doubt the projects they deliver will save lives and prevent injury on our roads.

“I am also pleased to see many of this year’s successful grant recipients focus on our diverse and inclusive communities, including people with a disability, and from culturally and linguistic diverse backgrounds as well as our Indigenous communities.

“The grants built on the Palaszczuk Government’s commitment to road safety.

“This supports the Palaszczuk Government to achieve our vision of zero road deaths and serious injuries by creating a whole-of-life road safety education approach and building a positive road safety culture.”

Minister Butcher said the Queensland Government was investing almost $1.7 billion in road safety, to make Queensland’s roads as safe as they could be.

“This work will see us prioritise safety upgrades, improve driver education, make school zones safer and develop policies to reduce road crashes and trauma,” he said.

“As part of our road safety program, later this month we’re rolling out Australia-first cameras to catch drivers illegally using their mobile phones and not wearing seatbelts.

“From September this year, Queensland will also have tougher penalties for drink drivers, with first-time offenders who are convicted of drink driving and have their licence disqualified required to complete a new education program before they can get their licence back.

“These are big picture initiatives, but we also need support from the community to help drive our road safety message and that’s what Community Road Safety Grants are for.”

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said this year’s round of grants supported 55 road safety initiatives across the state, delivered by community-based, not-for-profit organisations, schools and local governments.

“This funding will deliver almost half a million dollars for road safety education and awareness projects across Queensland, with each successful recipient receiving up to $20,000 to implement their project,“ Mr Bailey said.

“These initiatives will be rolled out from Weipa, in the far north of our state, and as far west as Thargomindah.“

Successful applicants can be found on the TMR website.

Originally published as Gladstone Men’s Shed handed $18.4K grant to implement Safer Senior Road Safety Driving Course