Strzelecki Track

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (15:02): My question is to the Minister for Regional Roads. Is the minister taking action to deliver the Strzelecki Track upgrade and sealing project as quickly as possible? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr PEDERICK: DIT have claimed that there have been 94 days lost due to weather events over the duration of the project. However, that leaves more than a thousand days where work could have been done since the project commenced.

The Hon. G.G. BROCK (Stuart—Minister for Local Government, Minister for Regional Roads, Minister for Veterans Affairs) (15:02): I could give you the short answer—yes.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Pederick interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! No, no, no. Minister, be seated. Member for Hammond, no. Persistent interjections: you are out under 137A.

Mr PEDERICK: I'm out.

The SPEAKER: You are—three minutes.

The honourable member for Hammond having withdrawn from the chamber:

The SPEAKER: Minister.

The Hon. G.G. BROCK: I have got the shovel and I will help with the member for Hammond. As we are all aware, there has been probably 41 per cent of road already sealed on the Strzelecki Track. However, there is no doubt of where ex-tropical cyclone Kirrily has dumped significant rainfall across the Cooper Basin on 4 and 5 February this year. Members only have to look at the media and all the water that's coming down. There has been lots—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister, you do have the call but there are persistent interjections. We are in the dusk of question time. The minister has the call.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G.G. BROCK: I can certainly control certain things but not the rain. Whilst the rain is going to be very good for the pastoralists up there, it has done a lot of damage to the unsealed road sections. So members are aware, there has been nearly 100 millimetres of rain falling at Moomba and 150 millimetres at Innamincka Station. Therefore, it has impacted—

Mr Telfer interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister has the call.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Members, we are so close. Minister, you have the call.

The Hon. G.G. BROCK: Can I give the member for Hammond a little bit of education. The amount of rain coming down saturates into the ground, and then when there is another 150 millimetres of rain on top of that it has nowhere to go. Members here only have to see the amount of rain that has happened up in those areas coming down, and it has impacted the works there.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Flinders, order! Member for West Torrens, order! Member for Chaffey, order! Minister, you have the call.

The Hon. G.G. BROCK: I am certainly not Keith Martyn from the TV station. Everybody is helping trying to get the Strzelecki Track repaired where it has been damaged by the rain, as with other outback roads. We are doing a lot of work up there, in conjunction with the federal government and also with state government contributions, to repair certain damaged roads. I can give a guarantee to this house that people up there are very understanding. While it is frustrating, they understand that all this rain is having an impact.

The member for Hammond must realise that if there is any moisture under the ground you cannot do any sealing whatsoever. We will get that repaired as soon as we can. I will certainly give the undertaking to the member for Hammond, as I always have, that if he has any questions or any issues, I am always available to give a briefing to anyone on the other side—

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Chaffey!

The Hon. G.G. BROCK: —about anything they want to have a look at. I will pray tonight for sun up there to dry the area quicker.