Victor Harbor Road

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (15:05): My question is to the Minister for Regional Roads. What does the Minister for Regional Roads have to say to regular users of Victor Harbor Road? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr PEDERICK: The opposition has been informed that the planned overtaking lane on Victor Harbor Road at Hindmarsh Valley, which was part of the South Australian Rural Roads Package to improve safety on regional roads, has been cancelled.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (15:06): Yes, it is; congratulations. I am glad the member for Flinders knows where Victor Harbor is.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: There has been a lot of Liberal Party traffic to and from Victor Harbor. Obviously, there are a lot of issues with land acquisitions and cost escalations, so we are looking at that body of work. We were planning to do as much as we possibly could with those overtaking lanes but, given the commonwealth government review and the uncertainty within it, until we know the final outcome—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I think the 90-day review is into its 130^th day. As we are attempting to look at the best ways of dealing with the overtaking lane, what we are doing is working out the costs of exactly how much land we would need to acquire. We are concerned about tree loss, and we are obviously concerned about road safety as well, so we are doing what we can to try to get an accurate picture of what it is that we can achieve. In the meantime, we will do more planning to see what it is we can—

Mr Pederick: You've cancelled the last link.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: We are working hard and doing more planning to see if we can't alleviate some of the concerns of the local community down there. I do point out to the members opposite that this work wasn't completed when they were in office. It's all very well to complain now—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister has the call.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Shovel ready, was it?

Mr Pederick interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Hammond is warned.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I think that long list of energy drinks might have done its work.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Bubblicious.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: It would take more than two Bubbliciouses to take him down.

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I'm not joking, but I'm joking about you drinking energy drinks. I will look at all these questions the shadow minister has asked. I will check to see how many times he has written to me, or to the department, about this issue.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I know. I am just trying to gauge his level of concern.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: What was that?

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister will not respond to interjections.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: But I really want to this time, sir. What was that? No? Nothing? I didn't think so.

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: It is true. I am a minister of the Crown. I would like to thank members opposite.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: It is a serious question and I will get some information for the member and get back to him about it.

The Hon. J.A.W. Gardner interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Morialta, order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I will get an answer for the member. I know he is concerned about the cancellation, but we are doing more planning to see if we can't find another location, but it seems to me that the location that was chosen would be inadequate.