Royalties for Regions

Mr BELL (Mount Gambier) (14:25): Supplementary: my question is to the Minister for Mines and Energy. Is it still Liberal Party policy that 30 per cent of the royalties will go into a Royalties for Regions fund?

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart—Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:25): Just to clarify, the short answer is yes. The more detailed answer is—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: —it's not a Royalties for Regions fund. Those opposite probably don't understand. They've got their coordinated chorus over there—their coordinated chorus of negativity. Those opposite might like to joke and josh about the resources sector, but on this side of the chamber we know what a valuable contributor it is—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Playford is on two warnings.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Don't worry, there are 3½ minutes left to go. We know what a valuable contributor this industry is—

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: —to South Australia. For the member for Mount Gambier—

Mr Duluk interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Waite!

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: —it is not—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for West Torrens, be quiet.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: —a Royalties for Regions program. But very clearly before the election and after the election, it is our position. Thirty per cent of royalties from the resources sector go into transport and infrastructure projects in regional South Australia. So we are looking at very significant transport and infrastructure projects in regional South Australia.

You have heard the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government talk about the overpass just north of Port Wakefield, a very important safety initiative and transport efficiency initiative, funded in part by our resources sector. There are two lanes all the way through Port Wakefield, connecting up to the two lanes in each direction (which currently stops below Port Wakefield), all the way through to the overpass so that there is no need for people to take what we know from very sad statistics to be a very dangerous corner. There is no need for that corner to be taken anymore. Traffic will be able to flow right through.

We are looking at the upgrade, the duplication, of the Joy Baluch Bridge, a very important project as well with regard to both safety and transport efficiency. That bridge carries local people from the east side and the west side of Port Augusta, whether they be going from home to work or dropping off kids at school or whatever it happens to be or, very importantly, all the emergency services—police, ambulance, hospital, etc., all located on the eastern side of the gulf. If there is an emergency on the western side of the gulf, that bridge is incredibly important.

Members would know what a difficult task it has been over the last couple of years for pedestrians, people with prams, young children or people on gophers to try to get across the bridge since the Great Western Bridge was closed. This government, in cooperation with the federal government, will duplicate that bridge so that we have safe access for pedestrians, safe access for cyclists and, importantly, two lanes in each direction. This project is another one which will be supported in part by royalties from our resources sector.

We look at other road projects around the state, we look at Port Augusta West through to Perth, we look at the Barrier Highway and we look at the Horrocks Highway—probably our most dangerous road in South Australia at the moment. This government, again in cooperation with the federal government, has committed $55 million to the upgrades of safety opportunities on the Horrocks Highway, which extends from just north of Gawler all the way up to Quorn, just north of my home in Wilmington. The upgrades of overtaking lanes, of shoulder sealing, of grade improvements will be absolutely vital for people who live in the region or those in Adelaide who head north for tourism or work or transport opportunities. The resources sector is helping to fund all these fantastic upgrades.