Road Safety

Mr CREGAN (Kavel) (15:24): I wish to acknowledge Mr Fred Harford for his work to identify important road safety concerns in my community. Mr Harford is a retired ambulance officer. He has seen firsthand the devastating impact of road trauma. Mr Harford has raised a petition of 260 residents concerning speed limits on Bald Hills Road, Mount Barker, at the approaches to the Bald Hills Road and Springs Road roundabout and between the roundabout and Hartman Road along Bald Hills Road.

The approaches to the roundabout are dangerous. The speed limit on all approaches is 80 km/h, whereas the speed limit is 60 km/h on the approaches to three nearby roundabouts along the same road, that is, both freeway interchange roundabouts and the third at the intersection of Old Princes Highway and Bald Hills Road. Significant safety issues also exist at the intersection of Scarborough Way and Bald Hills Road where a large volume of residential traffic enters and exits a housing estate in an 80 km/h speed zone.

These issues have been raised with the minister. I understand that they are not matters that can be resolved by ministerial direction; however, I call on the department to consider again the significant safety issues that have been identified. I am closely familiar with these issues. I also live in Mount Barker.

I bring up in the house another road safety concern in relation to Flaxley Road, Mount Barker. Flaxley Road links townships and new housing developments south of Mount Barker to the Mount Barker township. It is a major arterial road. Housing development has increased along the road. Local residents have rightly raised concerns about the speed of traffic. The department needs to be responsive to the changing landscape in Mount Barker.

I call on the department to consider these issues, and I acknowledge and thank Tracey Tozer, Renny Goodwin and Sarah Webb for their important and valuable advocacy in relation to Flaxley Road. Ms Tozer has responded to three accidents on Flaxley Road recently. As she has said:

When I spoke to DPTI traffic management, they advised that the current speed limit is appropriate for the area, and that they had no plans to make any changes in the distant future despite concerns raised. But the reality is that something needs to happen. I'm sick of hearing screeching tyres, crashing metal and people injured. One day it won't be a simple fender bender, it will be much worse.

As members know, roads in the Hills can be wet and slippery and visibility can be low. Even experienced Hills drivers face difficulties. While I acknowledge that there is a massive backlog of road safety issues left unaddressed by the former government, especially in the country and the Hills, we need to continue to focus the department's attention on Hills roads.

I appreciate that at present, or at least over the last couple of years and continuing, 1,000 kilometres of the 10,000 kilometres of country roads are being repaired by this government. That is a massive financial burden on the taxpayers of South Australia and reflects the years and years of underinvestment by the previous government.

I also appreciate the investment made to resurface the freeway between Crafers and the tollgate, to refit the freeway tunnels, to resurface Mount Barker Junction and to widen the freeway at Crafers. This is vital work in two years of government; however, much more remains to be done.