Port Lincoln Roadworks

Mr TELFER (Flinders) (15:02): My question is to the Minister for Regional Roads. What is the status of roadwork proposed in Port Lincoln at key intersections along Liverpool Street? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr TELFER: Community concerns are widespread over the plans to remove slip lanes at key intersections and the impact that changes will have on freight and congestion.

The Hon. G.G. BROCK (Stuart—Minister for Local Government, Minister for Regional Roads, Minister for Veterans Affairs) (15:03): As the member would be aware, I had a tour of the West Coast a couple of weeks ago—

Mr Telfer interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G.G. BROCK: I am sorry about that; I apologise. If you are really upset, I will let you know next time. It was a very quick trip there, looking at some of the OCA (Outback Communities Authority) areas. One of the things that I did look at was the overtaking lanes just outside of Port Lincoln. They are all, hopefully, up and running now and back to 110 km/h.

With regard to the work that has been done in the City of Port Lincoln, that has been going on for some time. That has been consulted with the Port Lincoln City Council and the community. The idea about the whole thing was to be able to ensure the safety of pedestrians in Port Lincoln—the safety issues. The member for Flinders would have had the opportunity to talk to the council regarding all of this, and I am sure that he would have made some contact or communication with the consultation that the department would have had out there. They did an audit on one particular area. There were over 1,100 pedestrians crossing that particular section. The whole thing about the work on these roads in the city itself is to ensure that the traffic flow goes well and also to ensure the safety of the community and pedestrians. The issue is that one of them is right next to a school and there are a lot of schoolchildren going across there.

From the department's consultation with the council and the community, I believe they have got the right idea there. If the shadow minister—well, it's not the shadow minister, it is the member for Flinders—had an opportunity, he should have brought that up at that particular point. I believe that the first priority is to ensure the safety of our pedestrians, particularly the children crossing at these particular locations. If the member for Flinders doesn't believe that, then I am very surprised. It's about safety and not having to travel across four, five or six roadways, as is the case at the moment. Going forward, with the way it is designed, those children will only cross one section because, at the end of the day, it's less traffic.