Road Safety

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley) (15:00): My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Will the minister implement better road safety outcomes at Gorge Road, Paradise? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: Following major accidents on a stretch of this road, including one reported by The Advertiser in July 2023, basic safety measures have been implemented. However, another accident occurred last Friday, as reported by local resident Kosta on ABC radio.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (15:00): I am glad the shadow minister is raising local constituent matters in question time. It shows that he is a diligent and hardworking local member of parliament. He seem a little bit worried.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: None of us noticed. None of us have noticed that the sandbagging has already started.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: None of us noticed, but it is an important issue. I did hear Kosta, I think it was, on the radio. The department met with locals on 6 November, along with representatives of the Campbelltown City Council and the shadow minister. Following that meeting, the department has installed all of the agreed measures—they were put in place on 15 February—which include the installation of a raised pavement, marking, upgraded signage to advise motorists of the upcoming curve in the road, and two unidirectional hazard markers to deter motorists.

We have completed our committed works and are now waiting for the council to plant trees along that section of the road, which will assist in improving safety along the verge, we are told. The shadow minister wrote to me about this matter as well, and I understand his constituent, who was on the radio, has written to me as well. He wrote to me on 6 September with concerns that the proposed measures were inadequate.

Following this, an onsite meeting was held with local residents. As I said, we did the raised pavement, the signage to advise motorists of the upcoming curve in the road, and the unidirectional hazard markers. On 7 February, I committed to additional measures, and council has agreed to install mature trees at the location. I understand also that the speed limit on the road—60 km/h—is not disputed by the local member, but if there is a change to that opinion I am happy to consider it.

My view is that the department is doing what we can. I know that Kosta is not happy with all the measures we have put in place. I am happy to work with the shadow minister to come up with a solution that could be useful, but ultimately it gets difficult to the point where the measures we keep on putting in place to try to make this road safer will reach a point where we may not satisfy the shadow minister's constituent.

I am happy to engage. I am happy to continue to work with him on this, because I think it is an important issue for the local community. I want to make sure that Gorge Road is safe and that the shadow minister is satisfied that we have done all we can. I am happy to take any suggestions that the shadow minister might have to assist the agency.

Protection in these areas is often more about satisfying people that we have done all we can. The independent engineering tells us that the road is safe, but if there are other measures that the shadow minister thinks could be useful I will contemplate them. I have not yet been asked, I think—but I will double-check—about changing the speed limit to 50.

The Hon. V.A. Tarzia: You will get another letter.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I will get another letter soon about that?

The Hon. V.A. Tarzia: You will get another letter.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Okay. If the shadow minister is happy to publicly call and ask to change the speed limit on Gorge Road from 60 to 50, I will actively consider that. I will be entirely frank: I think he knows that road better than I do, and I am happy to take advice from the agency.

The Hon. V.A. Tarzia: Bollards.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: If I see the member for Hartley sandbagging, calling out 'bollards; please help, I need bollards' I am up for—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister's time has expired.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: That is a shame, sir, but I am happy to consider bollards.