North-South Corridor Tunnel

Mrs POWER (Elder) (14:44): My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Can the minister update the house on the announcement by the Treasurer yesterday that the Marshall Liberal government will build what matters and deliver the last piece of the north-south corridor?

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD (Gibson—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:45): I thank the member for Elder for her question about this single biggest job-creating infrastructure piece in South Australia, creating jobs in our state.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: Those on that side might not want to hear about it, but on this side we do because we know jobs are important. This project will be generational changing. As the Premier pointed out, the hardest part has been left to last.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: Generational changing.

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens is on two warnings.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: We are doing the toughest piece: the 10.5-kilometre stretch that those opposite ignored for far too long, and we are excited. Up to 4,000 jobs will be created on this project. It will deliver more jobs than we have ever seen before in an infrastructure piece that South Australia has come to put their hands on.

It's important that we give the people an idea of the scale of this project. Again, it was outlined yesterday by the Treasurer: $8.9 billion for this project. I am told it's almost three times the size of the new RAH—that's without the repairs we have had to do—and around five times the size of the desal plant. It's more than 10 times the size of the Northern Connector, and that was of course the biggest project that Labor delivered. It is 10 times the size of the Northern Connector, if you can believe it, and 35 times the size of Regency to Pym, the project that we are undertaking at the moment.

This is going to be a highly significant project for South Australia. I was out in the field today talking to some engineers and they were incredibly excited about the young people out there who they believe will actually get into engineering to be a part of this project; that's how exciting it is. I know, again, speaking to people on the ground, that the 10-year pipeline of works here means that they will have jobs and they will have work for many, many years to come. This will be a game changer for South Australia. The two-tunnel project is an absolute winner and people can't wait to see it delivered.

This 10.5-kilometre stretch from the River Torrens to Darlington will be transformed over the next decade and it will create jobs as we build what matters for South Australia. But this project isn't just about jobs: it's more important than that. This will finish off the 78-kilometre stretch from Gawler to Old Noarlunga—again, the toughest part being delivered by this government. We didn't step away from it like they did; we rolled up our sleeves and we attacked this problem and we attacked this project.

You will bypass 21 sets of traffic lights along this new stretch and save 24 minutes in travel time—that's right: 24 minutes of travel time. It will remove 110,000 cars from South Road every day. It will improve the east-west connectivity—the Premier spoke about that—and that is incredibly important for those communities down there in the member of Colton's electorate. Again that movement east-west, as well as giving that free flow of traffic north-south, is what is so incredibly important.

With our hybrid plus project, we have saved the Thebarton Theatre—I know that the community was very excited by that—and the Queen of Angels Church was saved; a number of significant historical monuments and buildings there. Of course, we know that on that side when they had a look at this back in 2012 and 2014, they were looking at putting a big chasm through the middle of South Road. They were going to divide those communities and put a big wedge of open motorway through that section. That would have decimated that community. But when we looked at that model we thought, 'No, we can do this better.' In fact, we have saved 480 properties through the tunnelling project, which I think is fantastic.

The Hon. V.A. Chapman: Did you get a letter from the member for West Torrens?

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: The member for West Torrens hasn't thanked me yet, but I'm sure he will.

The SPEAKER: Order, the Deputy Premier!

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: Corey, I am glad every day you are there—every day. Don't change anything.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: This project will be delivered in two stages. Stage 1—

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for West Torrens will cease interjecting.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: The member for West Torrens may not care about this project, but I know that South Australia does. Stage 1 of the south tunnel is six kilometres with four kilometres of tunnel. Stage 2, of course, will have two kilometres of tunnel. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for South Australia. I know the state is excited. We are building jobs and we are building what matters.