House of Assembly Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1) 55 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Regional Road Maintenance Regional Road Maintenance The Hon. G.G. BROCK House of Assembly Stuart Regional Road Maintenance The Hon. G.G. BROCK (Stuart) (14:58): My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport in the other place. You might have to take this on notice, I think, minister. Can the minister update my outback communities on the programmed road maintenance construction contractual requirements to rectify the road system in the outback? With your leave, Mr Speaker, and that of the house, I will explain. Leave granted. The Hon. G.G. BROCK House of Assembly Stuart The Hon. G.G. BROCK: Just having completed my third or fourth outback trip and witnessing the condition of quite a few of the roads there, the information from the community was that the contractor, contracted under the previous government, has reduced their road gangs from five down to two. The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly West Torrens Treasurer Minister for Energy and Mining The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:59): The member for Stuart is a one-person iPAVe monitor. He's out there. He's out there having a look. He cares passionately about our regional roads. He asks more questions, writes more letters about this: he cares passionately about regional South Australia. He really is worried about the condition of regional roads, and he is right to be. There are a large number of maintenance issues that we have in our regional communities, especially on roads. The road maintenance contracts that we have been left with are appalling. They are not fit for purpose. The former Treasurer did his bit by increasing money each and every year we were in office, more money for road maintenance, and there is a lot more to do. I will take that question on notice. I want to thank the member for Stuart for his eternal vigilance on those regional roads. There is many a time he has been out there and given me a call and said, 'I just went over a pothole.' He wants to send me a pin on his phone so that I know where he is and I can go out and get it fixed. He is a champion for regional roads and regional communities, and I will make sure that I get a follow-up for him and get back to him as fast as I can.