Paradise Park-and-Ride

Mrs POWER (Elder) (14:38): My question is to the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government. Can the minister update the house on how the Marshall government's commitment to building the Paradise park-and-ride is progressing?

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL (Schubert—Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government, Minister for Planning) (14:39): It never ceases to amaze me how you are able to manipulate this parliament, Mr Speaker. I know that this is a question that you very dearly wanted asked. I also thank the member for Elder for this question and note her very strong interest in improved public transport services here in South Australia.

Once again, as part of our strong plan for real change we took to the election a commitment to finally deliver a park-and-ride at Paradise, a project that you well know, Mr Speaker, was not delivered in the previous four-year term—out of spite—by those opposite when they were in government. We do not want to play politics with the people of the north-eastern suburbs: we just want to get on and deliver what is best for them.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: There is a bit of a theme here. We promised at the election to deliver 775 car parking spaces: is that what we are delivering? The answer is, no, we are delivering 818 car parks as part of the upgrade to the Paradise park-and-ride.

Wait, there is more. We are also delivering around nine DDA-compliant car parks, and provision is being made for 20 motorcycle and 32 bicycle parking spaces as well. What we have also been able to do is undertake a design that, instead of seeing some four-storey or five-storey building dominating the skyline, actually delivers a single, one-storey car park that helps to blend into the surrounds.

This project has now gone through SCAP, and I want to thank the Premier for signing off on the design of the project. Work will get underway and completion is expected late next year. So those people who live in and around Paradise who use what is one of the busiest interchanges in our public transport network will, instead of having to park halfway up Darley Road and walk for half to three-quarters of a kilometre to get to the station, finally be able get a park right above the interchange and get where they want to go more quickly.

We know this will have a positive impact on the number of people who use public transport services: more bums on seats, getting cars off the road, getting people parking, and getting into town that much more quickly. This is a fantastic project, one that was a very central part of our election campaign and one that I know you, Mr Speaker, campaigned on hugely, one that is now being delivered—one of the many promises that are being delivered as part of the Marshall Liberal government's reform agenda.

Mr Speaker, I look forward to getting down there on site with a nice shiny shovel so that we can pretend to dig some dirt before the other people dig the real dirt and get on and deliver this project for the people of your community.