Road Upgrades

Mr McBRIDE (MacKillop) (14:12): My question is to the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government. Can the minister update the house about the Marshall government's congestion-busting projects and how they will create jobs?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL (Schubert—Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government, Minister for Planning) (14:13): Can I thank the member for MacKillop for his question, noting that yesterday we did discuss the things in his electorate that the Marshall Liberal government is doing to help improve productivity and grow jobs in the beautiful South-East of our state. The member asks a question about congestion-busting infrastructure right here in Adelaide, and can I say that this government is getting on with the job and is able to deliver hundreds of jobs in this space underpinned by improving our road infrastructure, and not only those direct jobs but also the flow-on productivity benefits that come from upgrading our road network.

In the electorates of Elder and Waite, we have a $60 million project to upgrade the Goodwood Road, Springbank Road and Daws Road intersection that is going to support 48 jobs per year over the life of that project. We then move out north to the electorates of Playford and Wright and the Main Road, Kings Road and McIntyre Road upgrade, one that will support 16 jobs over the course of that project.

We then move, Mr Speaker, over to your electorate, or at least I think you are trying to claim it as your electorate, and also the electorates of Bragg and Dunstan—you can argue with the Premier and Deputy Premier about that—and 78 jobs are being supported after the Morrison and Marshall governments' $98 million commitment to upgrade what is one of the most congested intersections in our state along what is a very important freight corridor.

In the member for Unley's electorate—and I think he has to argue with the member for Waite, who isn't able to defend himself—with the Cross Road-Fullarton Road intersection upgrade, 49 jobs are being delivered over the life of that project in a very beautiful and important part of our city. Also in the member for Unley's electorate—I think he owes me a decent bottle of red—28 jobs for the Glenn Osmond Road-Fullarton Road intersection upgrade, again a key corridor that the people from the member for MacKillop's electorate and the member for Hammond's electorate driving down the South Eastern Freeway will use on a daily basis and a key choke point for people to get around not only in terms of light vehicle but also heavy vehicle usage.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: Out in the electorates of Florey, Enfield and Port Adelaide is the Grand Junction Road-Hampstead Road upgrade, again a key pinch point on our freight route that will help to unlock productivity and not only the 15 jobs directly involved over the life of that project but also the flow-on effects from productivity improvements, from getting our produce to market that much more quickly and helping to grow the broader economic story, the good story that it is, here in South Australia.

In the electorate of Adelaide, the upgrade to Nottage Terrace-Main North Road is a hugely important intersection upgrade and again a key productivity benefit for those people who should otherwise and can otherwise be at work, being productive, rather than sitting at the intersection, getting frustrated with the transport minister: 15 jobs over the life of that project.

Then there is the upgrade to the Mitcham Hills corridor, a very congested part of our city, a part of our city that has been left neglected for a long period of time. The member for Waite along with the member for Boothby has been advocating for that upgrade and, again in conjunction with our friends in the federal government, 24 jobs are going to be delivered over the life of that project.

We highlight these things because there are two ways that infrastructure upgrades can help grow our economy. The first of those is direct jobs. So the $11.9 billion over the forward estimates that the Marshall Liberal government is putting in to help grow jobs in the civil and commercial infrastructure space is hugely important, but what we cannot forget are the indirect jobs and the productivity benefits that come from making these investments, that really help to drive our economy, that help to drive consumer confidence and business confidence and will overall help to grow the pie, create jobs and create wealth and prosperity for all South Australians.