GOODWOOD RESIDENTS ACTION GROUP

The Hon. S.W. KEY (Ashford) (15:38): A new group has been established in the electorate of Ashford called the Goodwood Residents Action Group. This new residents' group has been established in response to the many infrastructure works that are happening in this area. In fact, the group even has a website: www.grag.org. The different works include electrification of the rail lines, the Goodwood Junction Rail Grade Separation Project and stormwater mitigation works, which have been coordinated by the Unley council.

Last year I arranged a number of meetings both on weekends and weekdays, as well as a large meeting held at the Goodwood Primary School, to discuss these projects. I invited the Department of Transport officers to answer specific questions which had been raised with me by local residents and which had been given to the department before the meeting. I also took up some of these questions at the parliamentary Public Works Committee.

The Goodwood Residents Action Group was built on the work done by many other different groups within the electorate—I particularly note the Leah Street residents—and what they are doing is relating directly to issues in relation to where they live. The group meets regularly. Other streets within the electorate have also taken up specific issues in their street that relate to the three projects I have just mentioned.

I have to commend the residents because they have also been meeting regularly with an established community advisory group, where we have officers representing the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure and also the different work contractors. Unley council is also represented on the CAG. Some of the questions that are coming up for the next meeting include:

What are the short and long-term plans for the Goodwood train station?

What is currently planned for the pedestrian crossing at Leader Street: a single/double active/passive crossing? When will the plans be finalised and will the public be consulted?

Having attended many meetings, we are also aware that modelling data and fact sheets will be available. We are particularly waiting to find out about those fact sheets, as well as design proposals that have been put forward. The community eagerly await that information, as do I.

One of the things that has come from all the works that have been happening is the problem of noise. We have been told that noise readings have been taken around the works, although the information that has been supplied to me says that the readings are averages that were taken over three periods (from 7am to 7pm, 7pm to 10pm, and 10pm to 7am) and that the average noise levels are 50 to 60 decibels. The residents are asking the following:

Do these figures include when the trains were operating and the noise from those trains, especially the freight trains? These trains have been a source of concern not only throughout the electorate but also, I know, in other electorates.

Will the readings now be taken when a freight train actually passes through our community?

Another question that is being asked is in relation to the frames that are being used for the power. We want to know whether the electrical cables can be housed in what are called T-frames instead of square frames. We think that this not only looks better but the T-frames take up less room.

We also want a report on the coordination we have been told about. I attended a meeting with the Cromer Parade residents recently, where the head of the rail electrification project, Mr David Bartlett, told us that all of the project managers meet fortnightly. We are not really sure that this happening, so we are asking for a report on the coordination.

Really importantly, we want to make sure that the landscaping and urban design leaves all the projects, as well as our area, looking better than when the project started. We are really concerned that we have heard that 77 trees have been cut down. We want to know what will happen to make the place look better.