NORTHERN EXPRESSWAY

The Hon. P.F. CONLON (Elder—Minister for Transport, Minister for Infrastructure, Minister for Energy) (14:22): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Yesterday the shadow spokesman for transport suggested in this house—

Dr McFetridge interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Please, live it up: you will enjoy this. He suggested in this house that the government was hiding further cost blow-outs to the construction of the Northern Expressway by purchasing land which was originally part of the Northern Expressway project as part of the Gawler River Flood Mitigation Scheme, and that affected residents have told the opposition that they now fear they will be paid only a fraction of their real estate land value as it is being acquired as part of the Gawler River Flood Mitigation Scheme, not as part of the Northern Expressway project. Those were the allegations. Advice from the Deputy—

Mr Williams interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I think you should stay out of this one, Mitch.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: You're right, I agree with you. He's got form.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Mr Speaker, advice from the Deputy Chief Executive of the Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure has confirmed that those suggestions were completely false. No land is being acquired for the Northern Expressway project by the Gawler River Floodplain Management Authority, or any other project. Indeed, as members will see from the ministerial statement, it is extremely difficult to see how it could be. The Northern Expressway project is funding all land acquisitions necessary to construct a road and associated interchanges, including any land that needs to be acquired to construct the required structures and diversion channels associated with the crossing of the Gawler River.

Dr McFetridge interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I think it's time you kept quiet, mate.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Of course, he did say he would apologise if he was wrong, but I am sure that is not going to occur. All acquisitions for the Northern Expressway will be consistent with the Land Acquisition Act, which requires fair compensation to be paid.

The reason I am absolutely confident about all of that is that the Gawler Flood Mitigation Scheme is administered not by the state government but by the Gawler River Floodplain Management Authority. The authority advises that it does not propose to acquire any land along the Gawler River, for any purpose. The authority does intend to secure some easements (and, if the member for Morphett needs some assistance, I can explain the difference to him later) to enable construction of a levy and channel cleaning works to be undertaken along the river.

The Gawler River Floodplain Management Authority consists of representatives of the six councils responsible for the catchment. Not a single state government person is on it and has authority over it. Indeed, it is in fact chaired by a former state leader of the Liberal Party.

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson: And a vet!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: And a man who used to be a vet, I understand, just like the member for Morphett used to be a vet.

The member for Morphett, if he will not apologise to this house, should apologise to the members of the authority for his allegations. He should consider why, indeed, those local councils would want to spend their funds buying land for the state government. Above all, if he does find some councils who want to buy the state government some free land could he please refer them to me.