Public Works Committee: South Eastern Freeway Interchange

Adjourned debate on motion of Ms Digance:

That the 511^th report of the committee, on the South Eastern Freeway Interchange at Bald Hills Road, Mount Barker Project, be noted.

(Continued from 25 February 2015.)

Mr GOLDSWORTHY (Kavel) (11:48): I am pleased to say a few words on this matter that has come before the house. This particular report from the Public Works Committee in relation to the South-Eastern Freeway Interchange at Bald Hills Road has been on the Notice Paper for a long time.

As members know, this is a project I have been lobbying for and campaigning on for many, many years. Pretty much from when I first became elected to this place, I started talking about the need for a second freeway interchange at Mount Barker, given the significant residential development that has taken place over the past close to 20 years now, so I am glad we have finally got to this matter.

I think the interchange was opened probably close 12 months ago now, and it is functioning well. It has been an absolute boon to the local district and a boon to the businesses located in a certain part of the Mount Barker township. This provides a more direct route from the freeway along Bald Hills Road into that business and light industrial area—if I can term it in that context—of Mount Barker.

From memory, it was a $27 million project: $16 million from the federal government, $8 million from the state and $3 million from the council. I have to give credit to the local council, the Mount Barker District Council; they did a lot of work over many years to prepare for the construction of this interchange.

I also want to really strongly commend the previous member for Mayo, the Liberal member for Mayo, who campaigned and lobbied very strongly on the federal side of things to secure the $16 million from the feds. If my memory serves me correctly, as the local member I wrote to the then federal Labor minister for infrastructure and transport, whatever the title was—I would have to check my files but I think it was to Anthony Albanese—seeking their support for the project and seeking funding, from memory. Again I would need to check the correspondence, as it was a number of years ago. I got back the usual response: 'Thanks very much. We understand what you're saying but, basically, we're not going to fund it.' I want to really stress that the previous member for Mayo did an enormous amount of work, working with his federal colleagues to secure that $16 million.

As a bit of history for the house, on this side the Liberal Party made a commitment to that project at the 2006 election, the 2010 election and the 2014 election, and it was only at the 2014 election (again, if my memory serves me correctly) that the Labor government made a commitment to it. They were the last cab off the rank. They were the last level of government to make a commitment to the project, and that was for $8 million.

However, that is history and the interchange is constructed. A couple of residents have raised some concerns, which we are still tracking through with the relevant minister, and we will deal with them as we go along. It is a tremendous infrastructure project servicing the local district very well and something that had been long called for and long required. As the local remember, I like to think that I made a contribution to seeing the project come to fruition.

Ms DIGANCE (Elder) (11:53): I would like to thank all those who contributed to this debate and also the hardworking support team of the Public Works Committee. I commend this report to the house.

Motion carried.