Alpine Shire Council has adopted the Back Porepunkah Road Safety Strategy 2026, providing a long-term roadmap to improve safety for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians using the important connector between Bright and Porepunkah.
The strategy follows extensive community consultation, with 401 responses received during the engagement period in August and September last year.
Back Porepunkah Road is a key secondary route between Bright and Porepunkah, with up to 2,200 vehicle movements each day, and is also a popular road for both recreational and commuter cycling.
Community feedback highlighted widespread concerns about safety on the road, particularly in relation to narrow lane widths, high traffic speeds and the lack of sealed shoulders. The strategy's recommendation to provide sealed shoulders along the corridor received strong support from respondents.
Following community consultation and further assessment by Council officers and road safety specialists, several recommendations in the final strategy were amended. This includes a revised recommendation to reduce the speed limit from 80km/h to 60km/h between Showers Avenue and the Porepunkah side of 'Canyon Corner', while retaining the existing 80km/h speed limit on the straighter sections of the road.
Additional recommendations include investigating a new or upgraded pedestrian crossing near the Back Porepunkah Road, Station Street and Service Street roundabout, exploring the use of virtual wildlife fencing, introducing updated cyclist advisory signage and improving trail user education signage.
Alpine Shire Deputy Mayor, Cr Gareth Graham, said the final strategy reflected both evidence-based road safety principles and extensive community input.
"We received a significant response from the community, with more than 400 people taking the time to share their experiences and ideas for improving safety on Back Porepunkah Road," he said.
"Community feedback has played an important role in shaping the final strategy - we heard clearly that road users are concerned about narrow sections of road, vehicle speeds and the lack of space for cyclists and pedestrians.
Cr Graham said the adopted strategy provides a practical pathway to improve safety over time while recognising that many of the proposed projects will require further investigation, design work and external funding support.
"Council will continue advocating for funding opportunities and will consider future projects through its 12-year project prioritisation program to help deliver these important improvements for our community," he said.
For more information on the Back Porepunkah Road Safety Strategy and to read the final document, visit Back Porepunkah Road Safety Strategy | Engage Alpine
The Back Porepunkah Road Safety Strategy was funded through the Transport Accident Commission's Local Government Grant Program Analysis Stream.