Brighton Road/Ocean Boulevard/Scholefield Road Intersection

Mr DIGHTON (Black) (14:57): My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Can the minister update the house on works to be undertaken at the intersection of Brighton Road, Ocean Boulevard and Scholefield Road?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:57): During the Black by-election campaign, the member for Black, who was then the Labor candidate, wanted to organise a streetcorner meeting. He rings me up and he says, 'Look, there's an issue bubbling along about a development near Scholefield Road, where a lot of residents are agitated about the lack of action on getting access onto Brighton Road from the interior of the suburb because of a development that was coming and what they're suffering right now.'

He wanted to hold it at 7 o'clock at night, I think it was. Was it 7 or 6—I can't remember what time it was, but it was late in the afternoon. I thought to myself, 'On a weeknight who's going to come?' Well, Mr Speaker, I've got to say, the member for Black, the then candidate, had nearly 100 people turn up.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: That could be, that could be because it was me. They had burning torches but, you know. I've got to say, Mr Speaker, it was pretty overwhelming what those residents were talking about. They were talking about the difficulty of getting onto Brighton Road, the queuing that occurred to get onto Brighton Road, the concern about the development that had been approved by the previous government that would have seen a lot of infill and a lot of activity in the area, and that rat-running that was occurring by people trying to avoid the intersection at Scholefield Drive and Ocean Boulevard to get onto Brighton Road, who were using other streets, like Pine Avenue and the like, to get out.

What the member for Black insisted on is that we conduct a traffic study, so we did one urgently, and it showed that there was a dramatic level of congestion. We then spoke to the member for Boothby, Louise Miller-Frost, and we approached the commonwealth government, who then agreed to help us fund a $30 million intersection upgrade to allow local residents to be able to facilitate getting themselves out of their suburbs without creating a rat run that goes in and around local suburbs. This is a big win for local residents.

This $30 million forms part of a two-intersection upgrade along Brighton Road. It was to be delivered on Brighton Road and Edwards Street. I have to say that the original works on Brighton Road and Edwards Street were subjected to a lot of criticism by some people in the recent by-election. I have to say that one of the people who criticised that intersection upgrade was the unsuccessful candidate for the Liberal Party, the Mayor of Glenelg, Ms Wilson. She claimed that people would be shocked if we spent that type of money on an intersection, shocked—not having known that there was actually a Liberal Party commitment to spend that money on an intersection.

Nevertheless, what we see now is a good outcome. With that money being used here, we are seeing a good outcome for the people of Black. They have a local member of parliament who is listening and fighting for them. The cooperation between Louise Miller-Frost's office and the member for Black's office has been exceptional—it is a hardworking, dedicated team to make sure. I also want to thank Catherine King. Catherine King is the federal infrastructure minister who has done an exceptional job of being in tune with the concerns and cares of local residents here in South Australia.

So I commend the member for Black for his advocacy in this matter, for the swift way in which he attended to the needs of his constituents, for the swift way in which he organised a public meeting and for the swift way in which he distributed the news of the outcome of the traffic study and the results of that. We will begin construction as soon as we possibly can.

Despite all the work that these members have done, there is always someone to take credit for someone else's homework. Guess who that was? Nicolle Flint. She turns up and says that it was all her idea.

The SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.