Upper Yorke Road

Mr ELLIS (Narungga) (14:36): My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Can the minister confirm with the budget upcoming this afternoon that road funding announced in March by the former minister, the member for Stuart, for sections of the Upper Yorke Road will be sufficient to do a proper and long-lasting job?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:37): That is a good question, and I would like to thank the member for Narungga for his question and for his advocacy and, again, the former Minister for Regional Roads.

The Hon. V.A. Tarzia interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Sorry?

The Hon. V.A. Tarzia: I just asked a rhetorical question, minister.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Rhetorical? You're speaking to yourself—right. I am pleased to inform the member that early works have started on a $42.5 million upgrade, which will improve safety along the Upper Yorke Road and improve safety for all road users, including local residents and the trucks that regularly use this road, especially during harvest. This is a community that has been in a safe Liberal seat for most of its time. They have an Independent member of parliament, who advocates for them independently of the Liberal Party, and they are receiving a large chunk of a $162 million fund to improve road safety on the basis of need.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Those opposite can squeal all they like, but what we are seeing for the first time—what they are seeing for the first time—is regional roads being funded on the basis of need, not on the basis of how people vote, and this is a great win for the member for Narungga. This includes upgrading 35 kilometres—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The tears are like champagne. This roadwork includes upgrading the 35-kilometre stretch of the Upper Yorke Road from Kulpara to Arthurton through lane widening, shoulder sealing, audio tactile line markings, hazard removal and safety barriers. Congratulations to the member for Narungga. It is an exceptional win for him and his community.

This section of road has previously been identified as the worst grain road in 2022 and was in the RAA's Risky Roads survey as being a narrow road, with some sections of road being as narrow as 5.2 metres, and having poor quality road surface. The advocacy of the former regional roads minister and the advocacy of the member for Narungga has seen this regional road identified by a commonwealth Labor government and a state Labor government as being in need of repair and their local member of parliament putting the interests of his community first and going out and arguing for it.

In addition to this section, the government will also be upgrading the 25 kilometres of the Upper Yorke Road between Bute and Port Broughton. Both roads will be upgraded from a one-star rating to a three-star rating, which improves safety and productivity along the key north-south arterial road, which I am informed can see up to 200 heavy vehicles using it a day currently—a great win for the member for Narungga.

These works are being delivered as part of a $168 million package to improve road safety, in particular in partnership with the Australian government, and to build up the previous $9 million investment to upgrade the Upper Yorke Road from Maitland to Arthurton, which was delivered in 2022 under the leadership of the former Minister for Regional Roads, the member for Stuart.

This Labor government is improving our regional road network. We are working with the crossbench to improve regional communities and make sure they finally get the funding that they deserve in their regional communities, and it is because of the advocacy of Independent members of parliament that they are seeing real money going into their communities to upgrade their regional roads.