State Budget

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD (Gibson—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (15:18): I rise today to talk about this wonderful budget that was handed down that is really building South Australia, a commitment we made when we came to this parliament. There are so many things in the budget that outline what we are doing to build our great state. I want to address one that has significance in my local community and also that of the Minister for Environment, the member for Black, and something we have been fighting hard for for a very long period of time: the Hove crossing.

Mr Speaker, you know that I have spoken many times in this place about the Oaklands crossing, and what a wonderful announcement it was when we were able to get the Oaklands crossing happening. Our community was in raptures about that. Those on the other side do not know what it is like when a community has to struggle and fight for an infrastructure project like this. The community has been waiting for 40, 50 or 60 years. They were ignored by those opposite, but we came through with a big campaign and the local community came together. A big thankyou to the federal member for Boothby, Nicolle Flint: we have delivered the Oaklands crossing.

As I said, attention now turns to the Hove crossing. It is with great pleasure that just this week I was with the member for Black, the member for Boothby, the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure and also the Premier to announce this great project going ahead, with $171 million split between the federal and state government—again, two governments working together to deliver congestion-busting infrastructure for South Australia.

Building our state and building jobs in South Australia is what it is all about, so I am really excited by that and look forward to working with our local community. There will be a journey to go on. We did that for the Fix Oaklands Crossing campaign, and we took people every step of the way along that journey. That will happen again with the Fix Brighton Road-Hove Crossing campaign, and again I look forward to doing that with my colleague the member for Black and making sure that all the people in the local community who will benefit come on that ride.

There are other great things happening in this budget, and I want to mention this one as well because it is a pleasure working with the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure on our commitment to road safety: $834 million over four years will go into building infrastructure to improve road safety. There is $692 million for new road infrastructure, including the level crossings I have talked about, intersection upgrades and duplication of targeted roads in key regional areas, which are so vitally important. Those on the other side do not care about the regions. We care about the whole of South Australia.

There is $75.5 million to undertake shoulder sealing, the installation of additional overtaking lanes and resurfacing on the Stuart Highway, Barrier Highway, Eyre Highway and Princes Highway. People who do not drive on regional roads very often would not know how vital overtaking lanes and the sealing of road shoulders are, and how big a role they play in road safety. It just creates an extra element of road safety.

I noticed on the drive from Port Augusta to Port Lincoln a few years ago, the first time when I was shadow minister for road safety, that there were no road shoulders on the road for pretty much all the road and no overtaking lanes. Those opposite, and the member for Giles, whose stomach must turn, did nothing for these roads when they were in government. He must be over the moon that we are doing it for South Australia now.

In 16 years, they delivered nothing, and we are doing it on this side of the house. That is absolutely sensational. The member for Giles should be thanking the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure for all the work he is doing in his electorate because his side did nothing for that part of South Australia. I am proud to be part of a government that is delivering for the regions as well as the city.

As we have said, there is $12.9 million to improve the most dangerous roads under the national Black Spot program. Again, a lot of that is happening in the regions. In fact, the bulk of that is happening in the regions. There is a guarantee for the total funding spend for the Motor Accident Commission as we change over, given that the previous government sold off the Motor Accident Commission. That guarantee is to make sure that communications, road safety and strategic partnerships will still continue, and we will make sure that we are driving the message hard and strong there to keep people as safe as possible on our roads.

We also note that $33.4 million has been allocated over four years for SA Police to undertake road safety and public safety campaigns and communications as well, $18 million over four years to continue with the strategic road safety community partnerships and $150,000 in 2019-20 to implement a cross-agency road safety data analytics capability. All this is incredibly important as far as road safety is concerned. There is plenty happening in our state, and I commend the minister and the entire Liberal team for bringing this together and making sure we do all we can to keep South Australians safe.