Golden Grove Road

Ms LUETHEN (King) (15:14): I rise to provide an update on our Marshall Liberal government commitment to fix Golden Grove Road. I attended the Tea Tree Gully council meeting last week to urge the City of Tea Tree Gully councillors to focus on the best interests of our local community and provide paths and drainage along Golden Grove Road. I asked these councillors to consider the needs of people with disabilities, residents whose houses are impacted by drainage issues and even the Tea Tree Gully staff, who cannot walk safely from the new service centre to the Garden Grove Cafe without traversing unsafe, unsealed, potholed sides of the road.

I urged the council to support the funding of their own infrastructure, including paths and drainage, as we in King have been waiting for this infrastructure for over 20 years. I reminded the councillors that during my time as a councillor I had many conversations with staff about the dire need for better drainage and paths. I was always told by the staff that when the state government fixes the road 'we will do the paths'.

Upon arrival at council, it was sadly evident that the Labor Party had an agenda to block any council investment in King. We had to walk through Labor Party bullies waving Labor Party posters to enter the council building. Approximately 100 ratepayers attended this meeting witnessing this. It was pleasing to have in attendance the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure and the member for Newland. Both are also very keen to see the road upgrade and the council infrastructure delivered. The minister explained how commonplace collaboration is amongst—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Ms LUETHEN: —council and state government across our state and he shared many examples of like projects and took questions from councillors. The minister stated that the government has already committed $20 million to fix Golden Grove Road.

Councillor Bernie Keane spoke passionately, reminding his peers this was a very important project, that the request was not unusual, and he urged members and colleagues of the council to support this project. Five City of Tea Tree Gully councillors agreed that a collaborative approach to fixing the road was more important than any political pointscoring. These councillors agreed with the council staff recommendation to contribute the funds. Frustratingly, six councillors voted against the staff recommendation.

Labor Party members Councillor Brett Rankine, Councillor Peter Field, Councillor Lucas Jones and Councillor Olivia Savvas all used this meeting to deliver partisan speeches and score political points, and it was evident that their political game was more important to them than finding a way to deliver for the ratepayers of the city. Most disgracefully, Councillor Brett Rankine voted against the council recommendation to fund safe paths—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Ms LUETHEN: —and effective drainage for his ratepayers in Golden Grove. I do not know how Councillor Rankine can look residents of Golden Grove in the eye and say that he is representing them, when he is now on the record opposing—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Ms LUETHEN: —the delivery of footpaths along Golden Grove Road. This is yet another example of Councillor Rankine not understanding the priorities of King residents. Shockingly, in June 2019 Councillor Rankine moved a motion to increase council rates from the proposed 2.7 per cent to 3.4 per cent. Thank goodness Councillor Rankine's motion to hike up rates for people living in Golden Grove and Greenwith lapsed for want of a seconder. The ratepayers of Golden Grove deserve better representation. Residents tell me they just want the road fixed, they want us to get on with the job, and we will deliver.

Elected members tried to argue that they had been surprised by the state government asking for council to pay for its own infrastructure. This is gobsmacking, given that the mayor has posed for photos with the former government, demonstrating collaboration on this project and was quoted in a local paper back in 2017 saying, 'There will no doubt be some financial impact on [the] council regarding adjacent footpaths, so this announcement gives us time to flesh out the details.' This mayor is the spokesperson for the council.

Who is steering and leading this council's decisions? Is it the Labor Party? It appears that some City of Tea Tree Gully councillors are happy to accept the rate money from Golden Grove ratepayers to balance out their budgets, or as Councillor Jones said, 'spread the love', but they are blocking requests to invest back into Golden Grove. Is this another example of these councillors attempting to take the golden out of Golden Grove? It is time for these opposing councillors to remember whom they are elected to represent and to put the ratepayers first.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Ms LUETHEN: Thank you for the opportunity to provide a status update. We will continue to get on with the job of delivering for King constituents. We will fix Golden Grove Road.