Hove Level Crossing

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens) (14:56): My question is to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure. Given the minister's previous answer about having done the work at Hove, is it true that the minister has not submitted a specific proposal for the Brighton Road, Hove, crossing to the commonwealth government? With your leave, sir, and that the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The federal Liberal member for Boothby told 891 radio, and I quote:

To the best of my knowledge when I last checked with the federal minister a specific proposal and specific funding proposal has not been put to the federal government and I’m very keen for the state government to do so because my community deserve to have some certainty.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD (Gibson—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:57): No, her knowledge wasn't good, because we have been in constant contact and dialogue with the federal government on this. What we have here is a congestion issue, coincidentally in my local area and also right across South Australia. We have looked at investing in infrastructure that will get traffic moving and improve productivity right across our state. It is something that we have been very focused on.

I mention that $16.7 billion infrastructure spend—$7.6 billion of that is on freight and transport infrastructure. We know how important that is. This is just one example where there is a level crossing, and we know that level crossings do cause that congestion in local communities. Where we can remove them we know that, through the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator, that is a recommendation and things that we must do, so we are looking to do that.

Of course, Ovingham is a great project going forward. Hove is one where we are doing that work because it wasn't done previously. We know that, at this intersection, the boom gates are down 20 per cent of the time during peak periods, and that causes a massive amount of congestion in that local area for traffic that is moving through there coming from South Brighton, Marino and Seacliff—those sorts of suburbs—through Brighton Road. This is traffic that we know from the studies is heading down toward Glenelg to go to the shopping precinct, maybe towards the Airport, Harbour Town and on down to Port Adelaide. This is a very significant thoroughfare, and this is a congestion point that we need to have a look at.

I mentioned that, during peak times, the boom gates are down 20 per cent of the time, and that causes a significant impost there. The National Rail Safety Regulator suggests removing grade separations when and where possible. We also know that some 35,000 vehicles—probably more—travel through this road every day, so it is a congestion point, and we are doing the work to work out the best solution.

I have mentioned the four options that we have looked at. We have looked at those. It is the rail over or rail under options that we are discussing with the federal government. We are continuing those conversations and look forward to landing on a solution.

The SPEAKER: In relation to the point of order raised just now by the member for Lee, perhaps for the benefit of all members I wish to be very clear. The opportunity I afforded to the minister to conclude his answer was in circumstances that I regard as those to which standing order 98(b) applies. I just refer to the words of standing order 98(b), which indicates that four minutes is the time allotted for the answering of a question. It goes on to state:

The Speaker has discretion to extend the time for a Minister or other Member's answer if the answer is interrupted.

Through a degree of inadvertence by me and I think the member for West Torrens, in terms of understanding each other and the purpose for which the member for West Torrens rose to his feet, the minister, in my view, was momentarily interrupted, and in those circumstances I gave him an opportunity to conclude his answer.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Colton has the call.