Liberal Party

Mr DULUK (Davenport) (15:27): A very good on-baller, I would have thought, member for Torrens. I rise today to talk about the enormous potential of our wonderful state; potential that desperately needs to be unlocked. To unlock that potential, South Australia needs a government that is able to lift its gaze beyond the horizon and envisage the South Australia of tomorrow. We need a government that has a vision, commitment and leadership to take the bold steps to build the South Australia that we need: a South Australia where business can succeed, a South Australia where there are employment opportunities and a South Australia where the lights stay on.

Thankfully, the Liberal Party will be the government that has that vision, a vision that includes a transformational upgrade of South Australia's freight export infrastructure. Those on this side of the house are committed to helping South Australian businesses grow and prosper and improving the lives of South Australians through safer roads and better traffic conditions. Globe Link will deliver a generational upgrade of our freight export infrastructure, creating new jobs, sustainable jobs and transforming South Australia's economic capacity.

For too long, our export industry has been has been in reverse, neglected by an old and tired Labor government that has simply run out of ideas. Transforming our freight network is fundamental to this state. Over the past 15 years, South Australia's share of national merchandise exports has shrunk from 7.3 per cent to 4.3 per cent. That is a woeful performance and an indictment on 15 years of Labor government.

We need a government committed to unlocking the productive capacity of South Australian business and exporters, a government committed to investing in productive infrastructure and developing efficient market access, a government that will help our local companies gain the competitive advantages they need to get our premium quality South Australian products to market across the globe, to untap those hundreds of millions of middle-class people living in China and across our Asian neighbours.

A 24/7 freight hub at Murray Bridge will provide unprecedented access to international markets, and the intermodal export park will provide a unique merging of transport networks, combining road, rail, air and sea freight movements. We need a vision to grow that export capacity and we need a plan to ensure South Australia remains relevant to the national rail freight network. Capacity constraints along the rail freight line through the Adelaide Hills are expected to meet and reach capacity by 2030, and other states are already planning for this inevitability. South Australia must do the same.

The Adelaide-Melbourne railway line has served us since the late 1880s, but the tight curves, steep gradients and height restrictions along the Adelaide Hills corridor limit the ability to increase the freight load and, with South Australia's freight task expected to increase by 90 per cent, as I said, by 2030, the existing line simply will be unable to meet future demand. We need a modern rail freight network, a network capable of capitalising on improved technology and modern operational practices including longer double-stacked trains.

Of course double-stacked trains are not what we want going through the Adelaide Hills and through the Mitcham Hills, so an alternative needs to be found—a network capable of increased train speed and load-carrying ability, a network that will provide internationally competitive transport outcomes for South Australian businesses, exporters and potential investors by improving end-to-end supply chain efficiencies.

We need an alternative corridor for heavy freight that will deliver enormous benefits as well. A dedicated heavy road freight corridor will also abate the noise that Mitcham Hills residents hear through the wheel squeal of our trains, and having that rail freight out of our suburbs will ensure that bushfire risk is mitigated through the Adelaide Hills on catastrophic fire days. There has been a lot of concern in my electorate, and the new parts of my electorate of Waite as well, about the heavy number of trucks on our metropolitan roads and there is a big concern for people who live along Cross Road about the transport minister's desire to have road freight going down Cross Road onto South Road and down to the port. Globe Link will ensure that this does not happen.

Globe Link will ensure that we move road freight away from Portrush Road and, of course, Cross Road as I just said, and away from the South Eastern Freeway. It will reduce congestion and make the daily drive safer and quicker for many South Australians. Globe Link is an investment in South Australia's future. It is an investment that is critical to our economic future and it is an investment that is fundamental to improving the lives and wellbeing of South Australians.