Parliamentary Committees

Public Works Committee: Kroemer's Crossing Roundabout Project

Mr CREGAN (Kavel) (11:48): I move:

That the 31^st report of the committee for the Fifty-Fourth Parliament, entitled Kroemer's Crossing Roundabout Project, be noted.

This project involves the construction of a roundabout at Kroemer's Crossing located north of the township of Tanunda, South Australia. The current layout of Kroemer's Crossing in Tanunda has existing road safety concerns due to the complex road alignment over the dormant rail line and the proximity of multiple junctions.

A small section of Barossa Valley Way, which is south of Diagonal Road to Kroemer's Crossing north of Tanunda, is currently restricted for semitrailers. This restriction arises due to safety concerns and insufficient width that would otherwise be required for heavy vehicle turn paths. As a direct result, access into Burings Road—which is the primary freight access to Richmond Grove winery—is also restricted for semitrailers. From 2002 to 2018, there have been 37 reported crashes at Kroemer's Crossing, which included one serious injury and 10 minor injury crashes.

The proposed construction of a roundabout will enable the extension of the restricted access vehicle network along Barossa Valley Way and Burings Road to the Richmond Grove winery for Performance-Based Standards (PBS) level 2A vehicles. The committee was informed that Pernod Ricard Winemakers, owners of the Richmond Grove winery, contacted the South Australian government via the Department for Trade, Tourism and Investment, highlighting the inefficiencies to its business due to the transport restrictions and its willingness to invest in improving access at this location.

Pernod Ricard proposes to upgrade the winery, including investment in new crushing and processing equipment. This would result in a greater input of grapes and a greater output of final product from the winery. This investment is anticipated to create ongoing employment opportunities and result in substantive direct and indirect economic benefits for South Australia. The project will address road safety concerns at this location and replace the existing multiple junctions connecting Barossa Valley Way with Murray Street, Burings Road, Menge Road and Vine Vale Road. Further, the proposed roundabout at Kroemer's Crossing aims to:

enable the extension of the restricted access vehicle network;

create greater efficiency and reduce transport cost for local industries through improved heavy vehicle access;

reduce the confusion of the current road alignment due to the proximity of multiple junctions and the presence of the rail corridor;

improve safety at the location by reducing the risk of collisions at the junctions and providing safer turning capacity for heavy vehicles; and

retain safe access for pedestrians and cyclists along the Barossa bike trail, which passes through that location.

The total budget for the Kroemer's Crossing roundabout project is $6 million. It is being funded by the Australian and South Australian governments, Pernod Ricard and the Barossa Council. The Public Works Committee has examined written and oral evidence in relation to this project. The committee has been assured by officials from the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure that acquittals have been received from the Department of Treasury and Finance, the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and the Crown Solicitor that the works and procedures are lawful.

The committee is satisfied that the proposal has been subject to the appropriate agency consultation and meets the criteria for the examination of projects as described in the Parliamentary Committees Act 1991. Based on the evidence considered and pursuant to section 12C of the Parliamentary Committees Act 1991, the Public Works Committee reports to parliament that it recommends the proposed public works.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL (Schubert—Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government, Minister for Planning) (11:52): I rise to very much support this Public Works Committee report on a matter that I sent to the committee. The committee considered it and has, I think very sensibly, moved the report in this house for noting. This project is dear to my heart because it is in my electorate and will deliver significant safety improvements and productivity gains for the Barossa Valley.

This intersection not only cuts through Barossa Valley Way on the outskirts of Tanunda but also intersects with Menge Road as well as a small road, Burings Road, that heads to a very popular local attraction, one I took my colleagues to: the Barossa Valley Chocolate Company. When we were there, they displayed a massive amount of chocolate on a table with some very nice things to eat and drink. Perhaps more importantly, behind that business is a series of wineries. One in particular is Richmond Grove, which is a significant processor of Barossa fruit.

Essentially, this project came about for two reasons. Firstly, we wanted to improve that intersection. Anybody who has sat at Menge Road wanting to turn right but having to look left would realise that it is quite a dangerous intersection. It takes somewhere between 8,000 and 10,000 vehicles a day. The sightlines are also rather problematic because of the angle of the intersection between Menge Road and Barossa Valley Way.

We are seeking to do two things. We will create a roundabout that helps to shape these roads, which will also include Vine Vale Road as part of the mix. The roundabout will be quite large to make sure that that series of intersections, as it currently is, is much safer for passing motorists. In doing that, it will also improve productivity for heavier vehicles to be able to get to Richmond Grove. That is why this project actually has funding from all three tiers of government.

At this point, I would really like to thank Tony Pasin and his advocacy for this $6 million project, where roughly 80 per cent of the money is coming from the federal government and 20 per cent of the money is coming from state government, but that 80:20 contribution is also being augmented by funding from the council. I would like to thank the CEO, Martin McCarthy, and the mayor, Bim Lange, for their huge support of this project, because I know for them it has been a long time coming. I would also like to thank Pernod Ricard, which is actually putting money into this project because it knows that this will help it to be more efficient moving forward.

We know that right across the state improving heavy vehicle productivity is very good for our economy. It helps to drive efficiency throughout the supply chain so that when our products go to market and are exported overseas we can do so at a price that is competitive with the rest of the world, and this is precisely what this intersection is going to do. It is a great example of three tiers of government and private industry working together towards a common outcome. It just shows yet again that we now have a government that is willing to invest in regional areas to improve road safety and to improve productivity.

This comes off the back of a whole series of works that has happened in and around my electorate since March last year, including the resealing of Barossa Valley Way between Tanunda and Nuriootpa, something we were really glad and happy to get done before the Vintage Festival Parade earlier this year. In fact, the Vintage Festival Parade was one of the first groups of people who were allowed to go on it, and I got a lot of positive feedback that day. I was able to stand there with my daughters and look with some satisfaction at the beautiful new road the floats were travelling along.

We have also managed to get some money, again in conjunction with the federal government, to upgrade bridges on Lyndoch Road—that is, Lyndoch Bridge just outside the township by the old Schild Estate cellar door—and also some money to upgrade the Altona Bridge on Barossa Valley Way. In addition, after a long time of campaigning we have finally managed to smooth out some of the bumps on the Sturt Highway, which were really quite dangerous. The number of skid marks that you see on that section as you head out of Sturt Highway just north of Gomersal Road were actually quite dangerous, and so earlier this year to be able to fix that section was again another down payment for a community that has been long waiting for a government willing to invest.

It also comes off the back of our election commitment to seal Lyndoch Road, which is an absolutely fantastic outcome. Again, that was the federal government and Tony Pasin working together with the state government and council to seal a road that is going to provide a connection between Gomersal Road and the southern Barossa and really help to unlock that southern part of the Barossa. The sealing of Gomersal Road, and also the connections through the Northern Expressway through to the Sturt Highway, has actually seen some tougher times, so providing a sealed road to be able to get down to the southern Barossa will have huge impacts.

There is a lot going on in my electorate, and in a lot of ways we are showing the people of the Barossa that we are a government that wants to invest in them and wants them to get on and do more of what they do best and what we do best, and that is to produce the best glass of shiraz in the world and be able to export that shiraz around the world so that we can bring dollars from China, from North America, from Hong Kong and from the UK back here to South Australia to help employ our young people.

Kroemer's Crossing and a $6 million roundabout is the next step in that re-investment in the Barossa community. I could not be more proud that this project has finally got off the ground and I commend this report to the house.

Mr CREGAN (Kavel) (11:58): I want to acknowledge at the outset the contribution of the member for Schubert (Minister for Transport) not only to this project but also to ensuring sufficient funds for road upgrades right across the state. Over $1 billion has been injected into regional infrastructure, and we are extremely grateful for that. It is the single largest investment by any government in infrastructure of that type, and not only those of us in regional communities but also our colleagues in city seats appreciate how significant this investment is. This is but one part of that investment.

The member for Schubert was right also to acknowledge Tony Pasin, the federal member for Barker, and Mayor Lange, the local mayor, who have been strong, consistent and determined advocates for this project. They have fought over many years to ensure that this project remained in the public consciousness, came to the attention of governments and is now the subject of funding from this government and from, of course, the council and from Pernod Ricard. We acknowledge that contribution, too, and the practical way in which they have worked with the department to bring this project forward. Of course, as earlier mentioned, we acknowledge the contributions from the federal government and the council. We strongly endorse this project and recommend it to the parliament.

Motion carried.