Austroads has released an updated Lifeline Risk Indicator Tool, an online resource designed to enhance road connectivity for rural and remote communities across Australia and New Zealand.
Maintaining road connections to rural or remote communities is vital as there is often a lack of alternative connections. Where there are few road options to communities, these are known as lifeline routes. Lifeline routes ensure communities remain connected when alternative routes are cut-off due to natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes.
Austroads Network Operations Program Manager, Amy Naulls, said, “Maintaining access to lifeline routes is vital for the resilience of our remote communities and to support our freight industry. Investing in lifeline routes does not always stack up using a traditional cost-benefit analysis, but Austroads members know these routes are crucial to ensuring safety and support during a crisis.”
The Lifeline Risk Indicator Tool has been developed as part of a broader initiative to mitigate risks to freight supply chains, particularly in response to disruptions experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic and extreme weather events. It features two key assessment modules:
- Lifeline Route Identification: this module ranks routes based on their significance, allowing road managers to establish a comprehensive lifeline route network tailored to their communities’ needs
- Risk Assessment and Response Analysis: this module evaluates routes based on risk score changes following investments, helping identify which routes are most effective at mitigating key risks
The tool outputs include:
- Lifeline Route Identification: ranks routes to establish a network of vital connections
- Risk Change Ranking: assesses the effectiveness of investments in reducing risks on specific routes
- Non-CBA Investment Ranking: highlights routes based on their economic and social contributions, offering a broader perspective on investment justification
The updated tool is now available for access on the Austroads website and is intended to complement existing assessment methods, such as CSIRO’s Transport Network Strategic Investment Tool (TraNSIT) and BITRE’s Australian Transport Assessment Planning Guidelines.
