GlobeLink

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens) (15:00): My question is to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure. Does the minister stand by the commitment made by the member for Waite that the government will remove freight trains out of the suburbs and Hills?

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL (Schubert—Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government, Minister for Planning) (15:00): I don't I think I am responsible to the house for what the member for Waite says, otherwise—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —I would be asking the Premier for a pay rise. What I can say is that we took to the last election a policy of providing $20 million worth of funding to look into a visionary transport and infrastructure project called GlobeLink, an idea that we can get our freight trains as well as road freight infrastructure, as well as dealing with airports and intermodals—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens can leave for the rest of question time.

The honourable member for West Torrens having withdrawn from the chamber:

Mr Duluk interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Waite can leave as well.

The honourable member for Waite having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: It is to reroute train and road freight around Adelaide. It is a visionary idea and we have put $20 million on the table. We've got a stage 1, stage 2 business case currently being completed by AECOM and KPMG, and we eagerly await that coming out at around the middle of the year.

But what I find most interesting is that there is only one party that is talking about traffic congestion issues in the Mitcham Hills and that is the Liberal Party. There is only one party that has actually put money on the table to fix freight issues in the Mitcham Hills, and especially in relation to the Fullarton Road and Cross Road intersection, and that is the Liberal Party. There is only one party that has put $20 million on the table to upgrade Old Belair Road as well as Main Road, Blackwood, and the corridor there, looking at strategic improvements that we can make to improve the traffic flow in the Mitcham Hills corridor, and that is the Marshall Liberal government. That money is all there. It is all in the budget.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Point of order: this is clearly debate. The question was about removing freight trains.

The SPEAKER: I have the point of order. There was a cacophony of noise. Two members have been ejected. I ask the minister, however, to come back to the substance of the question. Thank you.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: The question is very much about traffic in the Mitcham Hills corridor, which is why you want to get the freight trains out of there—

The SPEAKER: Facts—thank you.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —so it is easier for cars to get around.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: Again, it is only this side of the house that is tackling any of these issues.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Point of order: the question was about freight trains, not traffic. I would ask him to come to the answer.

The SPEAKER: I have the point of order. I believe the minister is wrapping up his answer and will conclude very shortly.

The Hon. J.A.W. Gardner: Do freight trains interact with roads somewhere?

The SPEAKER: They do. Order! Let's get on with it. I am trying to allow another question, if I can.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: You can lead an MP to policy, but you can't make him read it.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: The fundamental essence of GlobeLink and the reason you want to move the freight train is so that it can improve traffic outcomes, which is a specific issue.

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Pederick interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Hammond is warned.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: We are doing exactly what it is that we said we would do prior to election. We are doing right now exactly what we said we would do in relation to this project, and we will keep on doing it.

Again, I reiterate that it is only this side of the house that is talking about these issues, and we will be the champions for improving traffic in the Mitcham Hills. We are already getting on to deliver the next stage of the project in relation to the Belair triangle, and we are going to continue to do it because the money is there in the state budget.