The Federal Infrastructure Department has walked away from controversial plans to cut speed limits on country roads.
The proposal was put forward earlier this year, suggesting dropping the speed limit to as low as 70km/h in a bid to reduce road deaths and injuries.
However, the plan was swiftly met with strong backlash from regional communities.
Member for Grey Tom Venning raised concerns in Canberra last month, saying slower roads would have made travel less safe and productive.
He called the backflip a significant win for the regions, and instead called for more funding into local roads.
“Our roads in regional Australia are the lifeline that connects our regional communities to essential services, and they are in desperate need of funding to improve conditions,” he said.
The backflip comes following revelations of a $2 billion road maintenance backlog for South Australian roads, and the lowest per-capita federal road funding.
