Kavel Electorate

Mr GOLDSWORTHY (Kavel) (15:34): I am pleased to speak in the house this afternoon to update members on a number of important developments and issues in the electorate of Kavel. The first issue I would like to talk about is the recent official formal opening of the Bald Hills Road interchange that occurred the best part of a couple of months ago. The Minister for Road Safety, the Hon. Peter Malinauskas, and the federal Senator, the Hon. Simon Birmingham, performed the official functions at the opening of the interchange.

I can say that it has been of immediate benefit to the district. With traffic volumes at the Adelaide Road freeway interchange—the only interchange in existence that had traffic moving in and out of Mount Barker—the impact was felt immediately, with the volume of traffic at the Adelaide Road interchange dropping away. It has obviously been of benefit to the residents of the township of Nairne because previously they had to enter the freeway, funnel down through Littlehampton and then onto the Adelaide Road interchange. Now they have to drive only two or three kilometres to enter the Bald Hills Road interchange to move onto the freeway to travel in either direction, west to the city or east out towards Murray Bridge and farther afield.

I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the previous federal government and also the previous member for Mayo, Jamie Briggs, on his determination and commitment to see that the previous federal government committed $16 million to that project. In total, it was a $27 million project, but the federal government committed $16 million. It was good and it was necessary that the state government contributed $8 million and that the local council, the Mount Barker council, contributed $3 million.

All in all, it is an outstanding improvement to the district and something I have lobbied for from pretty much the first day I was elected to this place. I am really proud that I can say that the state Liberal Party has supported me in my endeavours to see that project to fruition and construction. That support was provided at the 2006 election by the Liberal Party, with it being part of their transport policy in terms of supporting the project, and in again 2010 and 2014 when they committed funding to the project.

It is up and running. It is great for the areas within the Mount Barker township as well, not just for the Nairne and Littlehampton townships but for the areas in Mount Barker that we call Dalmeny Park, Waterford Estate and Martindale Estate, and also the industrial area around Oborn Road and Secker Road that run off Alexandrina Road because there are some heavy transports that come off the freeway and make their way into the industrial area of Mount Barker. Before, they had to funnel their way down Adelaide Road, through a series of roundabouts and traffic lights and so on, and it was an impediment to those businesses, but the Bald Hills Road interchange has been a boost to the profitability and efficiency of those businesses.

I want also to raise quickly in the time remaining the intersection in Nairne, the Woodside Road and the old Princes Highway intersection. I have spoken about it previously, but I will continue my remarks at a later date on that matter.