Loxton Road Route

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (15:31): I would like to speak today about some roadworks, and I am glad to see that the minister is here. After the state government redirected heavy vehicles from the Yamba roadblock through Loxton, through Moorook and to the top of the Kingston hill while roadworks are undertaken on the Sturt Highway, heavy vehicles, B-triples and road trains are going through the townships of Loxton and Moorook.

Sadly, a week ago, a truck travelling through Loxton lost a wheel set and all its brakes. That wheel set got away from the truck, bounced down the road and absolutely flattened to the ground a sunshade enclosure at the Loxton District Bowling Club. If circumstances had been different and the bowling club had been actively using that rink, it would have created havoc. Thankfully, it did not, but it did show the vulnerability of putting road trains and B-triples around a town roundabout not suited for these large trucks. These trucks have to cut off two lanes to get around the roundabout, and heavy vehicles now have to go past schools and school crossing lights and kindergartens and playgrounds.

It raises concerns as to why they would put these heavy vehicles, at this point in time, through road maintenance programs through the townships of Loxton and Moorook. The people in Loxton and Moorook are rightfully upset because of the vulnerability and safety concerns that they feel this redirection is posing. The bowling club president, Terry Thurston, said that, if it was a couple of hundred metres farther back, that wheel set could have gone through a retirement village. A wheel set weighs a considerable amount; it has a serious amount of momentum, and going through a town really does pose a risk.

Again, I am glad to see that the minister got up and made an announcement today. He is actually being a spokesperson for the federal government because most of the money we are putting into highways is federal government money. The minister is announcing over 500 kilometres of resurfacing. Is that resurfacing about shoulder upgrades or is it about actual, factual resurfacing? The expansion of the restricted access vehicle network includes 36.5-metre long road trains off the Sturt Highway down to Gawler. What I want to know is: how much safety consultation has been done because it goes through townships?

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan: Surprisingly little.

Mr WHETSTONE: Yes.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!

Mr WHETSTONE: How much consultation was done?

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! You are addressing the Chair, not—

Mr WHETSTONE: I met with the CEO of DPTI.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, sit down! Stop the clock. You will get an extra minute if you continue—your choice. He is entitled to be heard in silence. Member for Chaffey.

Mr WHETSTONE: Thank you for your protection, Deputy Speaker.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Any time.

Mr WHETSTONE: What I want to know is whether the Loxton roundabout complies with 36.5-metre vehicles. Does it comply with B-triples and the road train configuration? As I said, having to cut lanes to get around that roundabout does not look as though it complies to me. In terms of the consultation period, I met with the CEO of DPTI, with the mayors, and he did not tell us that there was up to a two-year road maintenance program so that we would get trucks rattling through two towns. We see speed limit reductions on the Browns Well Highway and the Ngarkat Highway. We are not seeing road maintenance being undertaken down there.

The road maintenance backlog in South Australia is understood to be in the area of $1 billion. Other issues include that the speed limit is now being reviewed on the Sturt Highway at the entrance to Renmark and there is no funding available. Truck businesses have moved. We have up to 250 extra truck movements out of a side street onto the federal highway. A letter has been sent to the minister about upgrading, making safety concerns a priority, yet we have no money available for safety upgrades on the Sturt Highway.

I would like to know exactly how much money is being put towards safety and how much is being put towards shoulder upgrades that are already falling to bits between Loxton and Moorook. These are brand-new shoulder upgrades that are already crumbling, so it just goes to show that, while there is money being spent on regional roads, some of it is just half baked.