Buckland Park Intersection

Mr ELLIS (Narungga) (14:53): I have a question for the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure. Will the minister commit to bringing forward the construction of a grade separation at the Buckland Park intersection? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain just a little bit further.

Leave granted.

Mr ELLIS: In 2010, when the Riverlea development was approved, the requirement was that at the point at which they reach the sale of 3,400 allotments a developer might then be compelled to upgrade that intersection to provide for an overpass rather than signals, which provides tremendous inconvenience to the people in my electorate.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:53): Yes, it does provide a lot of inconvenience for the member's electorate; I accept that. Why the former government approved that, I suppose is a question they may need to consider.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Schubert!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Treasurer is called to order. The exchange between the Treasurer and the member for Chaffey will cease. The minister has the call.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I am just waiting for an interjection. There is none coming? That's a shame. I understand your concerns. Given the work we have done to create this nonstop corridor and the work that the former government started by duplicating the Augusta Highway as well—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —it does look ridiculous to have a set of traffic lights on that section of road. I think the member raises a very good point.

Currently, there is an interim signalised at-grade intersection at the Port Wakefield and Angle Vale Road intersection, which was funded by the developer and which I am advised was approved by former Minister Knoll. I am advised that an upgrade signalised at-grade intersection is the next step in this development, which is required to be funded again by the developer, and I understand that that is anticipated to occur within the next five years.

The question that the member is asking on behalf of his community is will there be a grade separation and nonstop work done there. That is a very expensive solution and that is something that we are looking at. We will be closely monitoring traffic volumes. I don't think it's probably an ideal outcome, but it is very difficult to try and fix all the problems left to us.

I do think that the member's advocacy will have some weight in this and I encourage him to keep up that advocacy, through local federal members of parliament as well, because this is an issue that is important for our freight industry and the local community. That section of road, both governments—Labor and Liberal—have long-term committed to try to duplicate and make nonstop: the Northern Connector, the north-south, the South Road Superway, the Port River Expressway. All the work we have done through the Northern Expressway is all about non-stop freight to our ports and into Adelaide, and that is very important.

This does look like an anomaly and so it is definitely on our radar and something that we are looking at, but I can't give the member the commitment he wants here and now because the government does have a lot of priorities, especially health, education and job creation. It is important that we prioritise this appropriately, but I can reassure the member and his constituents that we are looking at it. Perhaps he could ask the previous government why they thought a set of traffic lights on a non-stop corridor was a good idea.