Regional Roads

Mr McBRIDE (MacKillop) (15:00): My question is to the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government. Can the minister update the house on the Marshall government's regional infrastructure projects and how they will create jobs in the South-East?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL (Schubert—Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government, Minister for Planning) (15:00): I can, and I would like to thank the member for MacKillop for his question and his very strong interest in jobs and fixing roads down in the South-East. On that score, this Marshall Liberal government is delivering in spades, finally working together with the federal government and the federal member Tony Pasin to deliver the Penola bypass upgrade in his electorate of MacKillop. It cost $14.6 million, of which almost $12 million was provided by the federal government, money that the former government would not take because they are a bunch of grinches.

This government worked together with Tony Pasin and the federal government to deliver the Penola bypass for the people of the South-East, creating and supporting 47 jobs over the life of the project. Early works are already well underway. Community information sessions were held in August and the tender is to be awarded in the coming weeks so we can get on. The people of the South-East, the people of the member for MacKillop's electorate, will finally be able to get the road upgrade that they have so longed for for such a long period of time.

But wait, Mr Speaker, there is more. There is the $250 million that the state and federal governments have on the table to upgrade the Princes Highway, and whether that be road widening works, a safety upgrade, town bypasses, new overtaking lanes or duplications along key sections, the Marshall Liberal government, together with the Morrison Liberal government, is working to deliver upgrades to one of the most important roads in the member for MacKillop's electorate.

But again, Mr Speaker, it doesn't stop there. We have three overtaking lanes that, as part of this last budget, are now going to be delivered in the South-East. On the Riddoch Highway, between Naracoorte and Mount Gambier, we have two northbound and one southbound overtaking lanes that are going to be installed to provide better road safety outcomes and support jobs growth for local contractors in the South-East to help to support the regional economy.

On top of that, there is also our commitment to delivering road upgrades to eight selected roads across South Australia, a number of which are, again, down in the South-East. Whether that be the Riddoch Highway between Mount Gambier and Port MacDonnell, which is in the member for Mount Gambier's electorate, whether that be Claywells Road or the Southern Ports Highway to Callendale, or whether that be Carpenter Rocks Road to Mount Gambier, we are investing in roads in the South-East of our state, works that are underway or will be underway very quickly. In fact, in relation to the eight roads, I think we might have something to say in the coming weeks.

We are getting on with the job of fixing roads in regional South Australia. Working with local contractors and using local workforce to deliver jobs for regional communities is part of a $1.3 billion package that the state government and the federal government now have on the table to deliver jobs growth in regional South Australia. This is fantastic news. It helps to build on our regional tourism economy and our regional agricultural economies.

With a government willing to invest in regional roads and a government willing to grow jobs in regional South Australia, this is fantastic news for the people of the South-East. It has been 16 years in the making. The people of the South-East can finally know that they have a government that is listening to them, delivering on their needs and putting money on the table to help grow regional economies in South Australia.