Question Time

Southern Expressway

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:05): My question is to the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government. Why has the minister still not issued a tender for grate-style fencing along the Southern Expressway after 79 days in government, given they promised to do so immediately after being elected?

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL (Schubert—Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government, Minister for Planning) (14:05): I think the last part of that question is out of order, Mr Speaker, but I will take it—

The SPEAKER: Would you like to call it as a point of order, minister, or would you like to answer it?

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: I will ask the member to reframe the question.

The SPEAKER: The question—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The question does presuppose certain information. Would you like—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! It may be the case, but would you like to seek leave to perhaps provide an explanation to the house?

Mr MALINAUSKAS: I seek leave to provide an explanation to the house.

Leave granted.

Mr MALINAUSKAS: Given that the now government committed to issue a tender immediately after being elected, why hasn't the minister issued the tender?

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: He's still got a bit of work to do on how to ask a question. He's still got his L plates on—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The minister will be heard in silence. Order! Minister.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: I welcome the Dorothy Dixer from the Leader of the Opposition. Can I say this: the new Marshall Liberal government has done more to fix this issue in three months than those opposite did in 16 years of being in government.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: The minute that they are all care and no responsibility, what happens? All of a sudden, they have ideas. What I would like to know is: where were these ideas before 17 March?

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order: the government is not responsible for opposition policies. It is debating the issue.

The SPEAKER: I will listen to the answer, but the question was about a tender, minister, so could you please answer the substance of the question, which was in regard to the tender.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: Yes, sir. To outline the process by which we got here, which includes the tender question at hand, it has been such: very quickly upon coming to government, the Minister for Police and I sat down and we have been working through how we are going to deal with this issue.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: This is an issue which alluded previous administrations in dealing with it for decades. What we are talking about here is not about a new issue. Go ask Damian DeWitt how new this issue is. Very quickly, on coming to government, we have sat down and worked out how we are going to deal with it. There are two different types of measures that we have put in place over the last couple of months to deal with this problem. The first of those is about trying to prevent the issue, and that's where an infrastructure solution comes into play.

On that score, we have done four separate things. The first of those things is to essentially put out contract works to put mesh over where available rocks are. The second part of it is to put fencing up around those areas to again prevent people from getting access to those things. The third thing that we have done is in relation to CCTV footage and putting up cameras around that issue.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: Again, those opposite interject. They had 16 years to put up cameras, but unfortunately it took them until earlier this year to actually put something out. So, as a new government which is spending hard-earned taxpayers' money, this is part of our solution. The fourth thing that we have done is go out to design the throw screens, which will form part of a permanent solution more towards the end of the year. The question was: why haven't we immediately put it out to tender? What DPTI has actually done is worked around that because going through a tender and contract process is, by its very necessity, a long process.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: When it comes to spending taxpayers' money, DPTI has a very rigorous process in place.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: But what they have been able to do in relation to the throw screens and in relation to the fencing that has been put up is they have been able to attach these projects to existing contracts that are already in place. There is an existing design contract around other works around our state that we have been able to attach the design of these throw screens to, thereby negating the need to go out to tender. We have actually been able to utilise an existing contract. The same is true of the mesh and the fencing. We have been able to utilise an existing contract from somebody who is doing work on a different part of our road network to expedite this process. So to actually do what the members opposite would like us to do would actually—

Mr Koutsantonis: It's your promise.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —see a further delay in delivering a solution. What we have done, since day one, is deal with this issue—since day one. We have done more than deliver on our promise. What those opposite would have us do is deal with the process issue, instead of dealing with an outcome. We want these measures in place as soon as possible and we have found a way to deliver it as soon as we can.

We will see in a few short weeks these solutions being put in place around the Southern Expressway, but, more than that, can I say that preventing this issue is not going to be solved by throw screens and fencing. We are dealing with a specific problem in a specific area, but we cannot fence off every road in South Australia. We cannot fence off 44 kilometres on both sides of the Southern Expressway. We need individuals in our community to take responsibility for their own actions and, when they don't, we need to punish them using the law.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The minister's time has expired. Before I call the leader, I call the following members to order: the member for West Torrens, the member for Playford and the leader.