The $38.1 million National Veteran Volunteer Service program will be backed by Disaster Relief Australia and aims to increase the engagement of veterans in recovery operations while also helping their wellbeing and employment outcomes.

The investment adds around 5200 volunteer veterans, completing a team of around 6700 along with supporting infrastructure and equipment for "when disaster inevitably hits communities".

Veterans Affairs Minister Andrew Gee and Emergency Management Minister Bridget McKenzie said the coalition could be counted on to back local communities and veterans.

"As we have seen when floods, bushfires and other extreme weather events hit our communities, both volunteers and the Australian Defence Force are the first to respond to assist the recovery and relief operations," they said in a joint statement.

"Veterans bring unique skills and experience to everything they do, and this program will seek to harness these in a coordinated way in partnership with first responders and governments to rapidly deploy disaster relief teams in Australia and around the world."

Labor made a similar commitment earlier in the week.

Meanwhile, the coalition has also unveiled its road safety policy, with $33 billion committed across four years including $65.3 million for heavy vehicle rest areas, $12 million for the Road Safety Innovation Fund, $10 million for driver reviver site upgrades and $4 million for a road safety awareness and enablers fund.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, who is campaigning in the Queensland regional city of Mackay on Wednesday, said everything must be done to reduce road deaths.

"Roads are the critical arteries of our nation, not only supporting the movement of people but facilitating the flow of goods and commodities from regional businesses to supermarkets and port," he said.

"We must not only make roads safer, but more efficient ... more reliable roads and freight routes will drive the growth of regional industries and ensure our valuable commodities can be sold to the world."

Australian Associated Press