Meadows Intersection

Mr TEAGUE (Heysen) (15:01): My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Will the minister release the traffic modelling in relation to the Meadows intersection redevelopment? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr TEAGUE: The intersection upgrade at Mawson/Battunga/Nottage roads at Meadows has been a long-awaited project. I note that Mawson and Battunga roads are arterial roads under the care and control of the Department for Infrastructure and Transport.

Council has advised me that it has approached DIT now on a number of occasions and requested that traffic modelling analysis be re-evaluated with current survey data to determine if the projected growth forecasts may still be accommodated by the proposed upgrade, the community view being that a roundabout is warranted at that location. To date, DIT has indicated that a roundabout is not required at the intersection.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (15:02): I don't have that detail at hand. I am happy to take that on notice and have a look, but it must be something that the four years the former government had in office wasn't enough to fix. I will go back and check to see why the department say a roundabout at that intersection is not justified. If it's appropriate to release the modelling, I will. There might be some contractual obligations about why we don't. I have not heard that we wouldn't release traffic modelling, so I will go back and check that for the member.

If the question from the council is that they are somehow unsatisfied with the methodology behind the traffic modelling, which I assume is where they are coming from, perhaps there are some assumptions the modelling had made that may have made the roundabout unfeasible. I will check that out—I more than happy to.

It is fair to say that there are sections of our road network that have been long overlooked. There are a number that need looking at, whether they be in the northern suburbs, whether they be in the Adelaide Hills, whether they be in suburban Adelaide, whether they be in the outer south or in regional South Australia. We have one of the largest road networks in the world. It is a very large and difficult job, and a very expensive one, and we have a relatively small population base and small tax base on which to maintain these roads.

We are reliant on the commonwealth government and our partners in councils to try to maintain and fix these roads. I know that often many councils attempt to try to push that responsibility onto the state, the state tries to push that responsibility onto the commonwealth government and the commonwealth government just say no to everyone. But, if we can work collaboratively with the council to come to a solution, I am up for the debate and up for the discussion. I will go away and check that for the member. Hopefully, before we return after the winter recess, between sittings I can give the member either a written or verbal response to his question.