Road Maintenance

Mr CREGAN (Kavel) (14:12): My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Can the minister update the house on how the Marshall government is working with the commonwealth to improve—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Kavel will just resume his seat for a moment. The Deputy Premier is called to order. The member for Kavel has the call.

Mr CREGAN: Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Can the minister update the house on how the Marshall government is working with the commonwealth to improve road access and safety around the township of Hahndorf and for commuters in the Adelaide Hills?

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD (Gibson—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:13): I thank the member for his question. Both yourself, Mr Speaker, and the member for Kavel have been great advocates for this project, and I look forward to updating the house on how that is progressing. Before I start on the Hahndorf project, it would be remiss of me not to provide feedback on the work we are doing on the South Eastern Freeway and the $35 million that was secured with the partnership between the Morrison government and the Marshall government to resurface the South Eastern Freeway from the tollgate to Crafers has been going wonderfully well.

Currently, we are creating 165 jobs on that project, and that work alone of course is fixing that surface up to the tunnels. The last time any surfacing work was done there was 20-plus years ago, so we know that we are adding to safety on that road. Again, I think that people are elated about the jobs it is creating, and the fact that we are improving safety as well is a great result.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: As the Minister for Innovation and Skills points out, that was under a Liberal government. As you would remember, Mr Speaker, when the member for Kavel and you and I were there a couple of weeks ago, we learned that—cop this figure—12 kilometres of lanes have been resurfaced and 35,000 tonnes of asphalt laid, an amazing figure. Weather permitting, that will all be completed in the next couple of months. We thank South Australians, particularly the residents of the Hills—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Lee!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —for their understanding as we do this work. Again, we talk about jobs and we talk about these great infrastructure projects, and on that side they just want to complain.

While I'm mentioning the new resurfacing works, it would be remiss of me not to mention the managed motorway project we did as well, which added the third lane between Crafers and Stirling and the intelligent system that has gone up above there, which allows us to mark out the lanes; if there is an accident in one of those lanes, we can mark it out and keep traffic flowing. That is another great project generating jobs and helping out the people of the Adelaide Hills to get to town a little easier.

Again, when we were up there with you, sir, and the member for Kavel and talking to the people on the project, we noted that the new type of asphalt that has been laid on this project has actually dropped noise by five decibels. So whether you are in your car or live locally, dropping that noise has been a really great result. Again, that's why we are investing in these projects.

As for the Hahndorf township improvements and the access upgrade, it's a $250 million project. Again, that was forecast in last year's federal budget, and we thank the federal government for that. We got to work very quickly on that project and finalised the planning studies, and we have gone to the community with three options. Before I go into those options, I would just like to point out how important Hahndorf is as a region.

Of course, the main road has a number of vehicles that go through it. Some 500 heavy vehicles run up and down the main street every day, and we want to get those heavy vehicles off because we know Hahndorf is a great tourist destination. It has some one million visitors per annum, and we want to increase the productivity and the output of that region. If we can divert those trucks off that road, it is better for them, better for their productivity and it also frees up that region and its tourist prospects. Again—and they won't like it—there are 350 jobs in this project, so it is absolutely outstanding.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: The community feedback is being sought on three options, including a full interchange at River Road and a new link road connecting Echunga Road and River Road; a half interchange at River Road and a link road connecting Echunga Road and River Road; and a full interchange at Verdun, with a link road connecting Echunga Road and River Road. They are the three options. We are taking them to the community and getting their feedback.

It's great to be engaging with the community. If you want to see the pictures, full details are available on the DIT website. I look forward to hearing that feedback from the community. The consultation period runs until 7 June. We've got public forums this Thursday and Saturday at the Hahndorf Memorial Institute and the Academy Lawns respectively, so hopefully the community can get along, and they can have their say as they help us build what matters for South Australia.

The SPEAKER: Before I call the member for Reynell, I call to order the member for Chaffey and I call to order the member for Playford and the member for Lee.