POPULAR WORDS

Boost the federally funded Blackspots program - that's what local governments want from the federal election. Independent research by the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) shows that Black Spot Road safety program should be extended by another four years - and will save 20 lives a year. The program is due to finish in June 2002. But Cr Noel Playford says if Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson wants to achieve his target of reducing the road toll by 40% by 2010, the Black Spots program needs to be continued. The ALGA will be lobbying all politicians, with an emphasis on the 56 seats which could change with less than a 5% swing, to have Black Spots and road funding generally increased. The "non-political" campaign will feature advertising as well as public relations campaigns in each of the seats. Cr Playford says if political parties choose not to respond to their campaign, "it will be at their electoral peril". He says local government and communities have heard the right signals, but they want the commitment to extend Black Spots and road funding "set in concrete by all sides of politics".