Regional Infrastructure

Mr TRELOAR (Flinders) (15:24): I rise today to discuss a significant announcement made by our leader in the last couple of days and that is to quarantine 30 per cent of mining royalty revenue in this state for regional road and infrastructure. This is a significant policy, a very important policy, not just to the state but particularly to the people who live in country South Australia. It is estimated that it will bring about $750 million over the next 10 years, based on current projected royalty revenue that will be available for infrastructure and regional roads.

I have lost track of the number of times I have talked about the Tod Highway in this particular place. I am going to talk about it again. In fact, I asked a question of the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure today about the progress of the shoulder sealing on the Tod Highway. As he quite rightly pointed out, my personal entreaties to the minister for the state government to provide funding for the Tod Highway had already seen some action. That is true, up to a point. It is about a 100 kilometre stretch that I tend to highlight between Kyancutta and Karkoo.

Some work has been done, but really it is a token effort. Some corners have been widened with the use of bitumen. The most recent efforts have been to put extra rubble alongside the road where the bitumen is crumbling away. I can guarantee the minister and those in this chamber that as harvest is now beginning, the freight task and the freight load on that particular road has become even more significant and the pressure on that road will see safety issues, safety concerns and also further deterioration on that road. We will also be increasing funding for regional road upgrades and other critical infrastructure, such as mobile phone towers and that will address blackspots which, in turn, increases productivity, grows our economy and creates much-needed jobs.

Further questions today in question time related to the western-approach road to Ceduna. Once again, I have had correspondence and discussions with the minister and I flag that in this particular grievance debate. There have been four attempts at addressing this particular issue. It is where the road crosses the railway line coming into Ceduna and it is quite seriously a particularly dangerous hazard.

Trucks are losing bits as they go across the crossing and trailers are becoming unhooked. There are many caravaners on national Highway One and obviously they are getting jolted and bounced around. We forwarded photographs to the minister of the damage being done. Four attempts have been made to smooth out this particular issue. All that has been done of late is to reduce the speed limit across the crossing.

My other question today was around passing lanes. Once again, it is all very well to say that things are in the pipeline, but when things are actually going to happen, I do not know. The Strzelecki Track was highlighted today by the member for Stuart, as was the Joy Baluch AM Bridge and Yorkeys Crossing. These are critical pieces of infrastructure that we have been talking about in this place for years and which are critical to the economic wellbeing and development of this state.

The Strzelecki Track would require a $450 million upgrade. It is a significant spend. Do you know what Queensland has done? They have a sealed road from Brisbane to the border. We are missing out on business because of this government's lack of input and expenditure into infrastructure. The Joy Baluch AM Bridge and Yorkeys Crossing, both Port Augusta sites, are both key freight routes across Australia on national Highway One. Also mentioned today was the Princes Highway in the South-East. That is one of the South-East's busiest transport and freight routes. It needs a $1 billion upgrade.

If you believe the figures that are bandied around, there is up to a $500 million road funding backlog—it could even be more than that. Our policy that has been announced this week will quarantine 30 per cent of mining royalty revenue, which will go a long way to addressing that road funding backlog and will ensure that the critical infrastructure that exists in regional South Australia is kept up and allows South Australian businesses to be both efficient and competitive in a world market.