Public Works Committee: Dublin Saleyard Access Upgrade

Mr CREGAN (Kavel) (11:12): I move:

That the 103^rd report of the committee for the Fifty-Fourth Parliament, entitled Dublin Saleyard Access Upgrade Project, be noted.

The Dublin saleyards are located approximately 2.2 kilometres east of the Port Wakefield Highway junction at Carslake Road. The Dublin saleyard access upgrade project will upgrade the Port Wakefield Highway junction with Carslake Road and the South Australian Livestock Exchange Dublin saleyard entrance and widen Carslake Road for a distance of approximately 2.2 kilometres from Port Wakefield Highway to the saleyard.

The proposed works will enable future provision for use by PBS level 4A vehicles—that is, Mr Speaker, as you are aware, vehicles up to 53.5 metres long, often referred to as triple road trains—from Port Wakefield Highway to the saleyard, as I have described. Of course, there will be important safety improvements at the junction.

To detail the scope of works, I turn briefly to the project overview. It will include upgrading the Port Wakefield Highway junction, upgrading the entrance, widening the road for a distance of 2.2 kilometres, as I have earlier mentioned, pavement construction resurfacing, new line marking and, importantly, upgraded LED road lighting at the Port Wakefield Highway junction. There is also some necessary and ancillary vegetation removal associated with the project, particularly the road widening aspects of the project.

The key aims of the upgrade are to improve productivity and economic benefit through providing access for high-productivity vehicles to the South Australian Livestock Exchange, to improve road safety, particularly at the junction, and to maintain travel times and reliability for the Port Wakefield Highway.

The approved budget for the project is $11 million. Funding contributions have been made from the Australian government and the South Australian government. The South Australian government's commitment forms part of the 2019-20 state budget, and the Australian government funding for the project was committed as part of the 2019-20 federal budget through the South Australian rural roads package. It is estimated that construction for the proposed upgrade project is expected to be complete by mid this year.

I inform the house that the committee examined written evidence from the department and advises that the project proposal had been subject to the appropriate agency consultation. The committee is satisfied that the proposal meets the criteria for the examination of projects described in the Parliamentary Committees Act 1991, and based on the evidence considered and pursuant to section 12C of the Parliamentary Committees Act 1991 the Public Works Committee reports to the house that it recommends the proposed scope of works that I have earlier described to you and to members.

Mr ELLIS (Narungga) (11:15): I rise to make an exceedingly brief contribution to this work. I congratulate the committee on its wonderful work in recommending this scope of works be done at Carslake Road near Dublin. I also congratulate the minister and the previous minister, the member for Schubert, on their wisdom in choosing to invest in this project. Carslake Road near Dublin, where the saleyards themselves are situated, is a growing place of industry. Businesses are popping up there in rapid succession, and quite a number are significant businesses, such as Australian Grain Export, Dublin Clean Grain and of course the saleyards, all of which are situated on Carslake Road and will benefit from the upgrades this project will provide.

I know that Dublin Clean Grain and the koch's from Maitland will be very excited to know that the grain they transport there for cleaning will benefit from this project. I know the AGE, which is going through an expansion of its own and doing a tremendous job exporting the produce from around our region, will be thankful for this investment as well, and the saleyards, for which this project ostensibly was designed, will also be thankful.

It will come as no surprise to members of this place that roads are extremely important to the voters of Narungga. Whilst I was out doorknocking as a candidate, the issue of the road between Port Wakefield and Adelaide came up quite frequently. At that time, at various places it was degrading quite a bit and undulating in various sections, and people were quite frustrated at that time that there was not a fix in sight and that it was continuing to wear away and fall into a state of disrepair.

Thankfully, the federal government has seen fit to fund a number of sections of that road for improvements, and there are now more complaints coming through our office about the roadwork signs out there than about the condition of the road, which I think is a wonderful indication that works are being done to improve the transit between Port Wakefield and Adelaide, which a significant majority of my constituents use frequently. It is pleasing to see that work done, progress being made and, if we can stay patient while those signs are out there, the end result should be wonderful.

With that burgeoning industry out there at Carslake Road come a number of different freight movements, so to have this investment to make that intersection a safer one will be a tremendous investment, and I am sure all road users, when coming across a B-triple, will be thankful that there is a turning lane and road widening, giving them plenty of room to get around and continue safely on their way to Adelaide.

I know that not just the saleyards but the growing number of industry and businesses that operate out there will be thankful for this investment. I know the saleyards will be thankful, and I know that motorists from my electorate will also be thankful that their trip to Adelaide is that bit safer and that they will continue to see investment in what they perceive to be roads worthy of that investment. I congratulate the minister and the previous minister, thank the committee for its work and look forward to seeing this project, which is already well underway, finished, and that road made that bit safer.

Mr CREGAN (Kavel) (11:18): I acknowledge the contribution made by the member for Narungga, who is a tenacious, passionate and committed member and closely familiar with the needs of his community. He has been a very strong advocate for this project and for many other very significant road projects in his community. I am pleased to recommend the proposed scope of works to the house.

Motion carried.