Taylor Electorate

Mr GEE (Taylor) (15:17): I rise today to speak about a couple of townships in the Taylor electorate: Angle Vale and Virginia. These towns sit on the edge of the metro area and have growing populations but are lacking basic services and facilities. There is a lack of footpaths, stormwater infrastructure, community facilities and open spaces. I know that you, Mr Speaker, are aware that there are also many road safety concerns associated with these two townships.

The Angle Vale and District Residents Association have been fighting to obtain footpaths and stormwater infrastructure on Angle Vale Road for many years now. This is one of the longest standing issues in Angle Vale; some residents have been waiting for 30 years. I congratulate the community on their fight so far, including the organisation of a public meeting, and on launching the petition containing 280 signatures that I was asked to table here in parliament today.

Playford Mayor Mr Glenn Docherty says that Playford council has previously indicated its desire to install a footpath along the road but will not do so until adequate stormwater infrastructure is installed by DPTI. Mr Docherty told the meeting:

Council is prepared to complete the footpath work along this road...[however] there is no point in doing that, at this time, until the road edge is upgraded and there is no potential wash away or safety issue.

He further advised that the Playford council already had the money put away for the upgrade of footpaths on Angle Vale Road and was just waiting for the state government to do its part. The Hon. John Dawkins assured local residents that he would bring the stormwater issue to the attention of the Minister for Infrastructure, Stephan Knoll, adding that the Liberal government will do all it can to provide an outcome for the Angle Vale community. Angle Vale Road is one of the two main roads that runs through the town. It is an arterial freight route, with a mix of uses including B-double semitrailers, light and passenger vehicles and many pedestrians, including a high number of children. Currently, families walk on the combination of stones, dirt, mud and pooled water whenever it rains.

The Angle Vale residents association is an active group that has campaigned on a range of issues. I have been happy to support them with their activism over the last 12 months to ensure that we can deliver much-needed improvement to Angle Vale. I have said in this place before that Angle Vale is the fastest growing suburb in South Australia and sits in the fastest growing council area in South Australia, with thousands of new residents predicted to move there in the near future. While I believe that the City of Playford should focus more of its funding on the growing areas, rather than on the Playford CBD, all levels of government need to do more to assist Angle Vale and other fast-growing communities.

After lobbying by the residents association, the City of Playford has agreed to fund the footpaths and associated infrastructure on Angle Vale Road. In addition, it has also agreed to upgrade the Virginia main street. Both projects need and should have assistance from the state government, as both are situated on state-maintained roads. I call upon the member for Schubert, the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government, to fund the installation of stormwater infrastructure on Angle Vale Road, west of Heaslip Road, in the 2018-19 state budget. This project is long overdue and, with the council now on board, this should be done.

Another project that the state government can assist the City of Playford with is delivering more community and youth facilities in Angle Vale. The community currently has the sports clubrooms on Fradd Road that were funded by the federal Labor government, but this facility was not built to host large community gatherings or functions. It was expected that another community centre would be built.

The residents association held a rally last year to protest against Playford council's proposed rate rises. They had to use the Trinity College gymnasium. While it was generous of the school, it was barely large enough for the event. It is not viable going forward, as the school community is growing and demand for the use of their facilities will increase. The people of Angle Vale and Virginia have many other issues which the state and federal governments can and should assist with and which I will speak about in more detail in future contributions.

I call on the Minister for Local Government to shift his focus from being confrontational with councils to working alongside them to deliver more accountability, better services and better facilities. The Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government has agreed to meet with the community this Saturday, 28 July, at the Heaslip and Curtis roads intersection. I congratulate all of the Angle Vale community on making this happen and ask that they turn out with their neighbours and friends and tell the minister their stories in relation to this very dangerous intersection.