OUTBACK ROADS

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (15:13): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Leader of the Government a question about Outback roads.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: Prior to the parliamentary break, I raised some concerns about the state of Outback airstrips. I mentioned what the former Liberal government had said about sealing airstrips in Outback areas and stated that the process seemed to have come to a standstill under the Rann government. I detailed that it is very much a safety issue as these airstrips become unsafe to use when it rains, rendering the Flying Doctor Service inoperable, a scary thought in an emergency situation.

It is, of course, much the same with regional roads. Roads which are not maintained efficiently and roads which are not sealed are extremely hazardous, in particular for inexperienced drivers in those conditions, and of particular concern are international tourists. These appalling conditions have been recently highlighted in the media, and constituents have contacted my office to raise their concerns about the lack of Outback road maintenance. My questions to the minister are: is he aware of the appalling conditions of Outback roads at the moment; and what is his government doing about urgently rectifying those appalling conditions?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (15:14): Under the Rann government there has been something like a sixfold increase in capital expenditure. This government is now spending on capital investment, right across the board, something like six times the amount that was provided in the last budget of the previous government, and that is right across the spectrum. So, I do not accept the fact that this government—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: We do not care about the country? Is that so? We care a lot more about it than the—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: There has been a sixfold increase in capital expenditure under this government right across the board, and that has been across a range of government activities, including within the transport sector. So, it is all very well for members opposite to pick one relatively small part of that overall account, but if you look at the overall amount—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: The fact is that under this government not only have we restored the AAA credit rating and retained it in most difficult financial times but we have also done it at a time when there has been a massive capital increase. It is all very well for members opposite to attack this government for not spending enough, even though we are spending six times more on capital expenditure generally than was the case under the former government; not only are we doing that, but members opposite are calling for this government to spend money on a whole lot of extra things, notwithstanding the fact that we are facing the most difficult budgetary climate we have faced for many years.

In six months we will face an election, and it will be up to members opposite to come up with their priorities, but they will have to balance their books and tell the public of South Australia—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: The mess that we made? Heavens above! Under this government not only was the AAA rating restored but it has also been retained in that difficult situation. There are difficult financial circumstances facing this state, and it is all very well for members opposite to attack, saying this government should be spending more money on this and that. Scarcely a day goes past when members opposite are not criticising this government for not spending enough. Of the eight members over there, six are now shadow ministers, so we can imagine what will happen with these calls for more expenditure. Perhaps the only one who might defer that is the Hon. Rob Lucas, who has to try to pull some of these figures together and make them all balance up at the end of the day.

I have a lot of interest in roads. Road asset maintenance is of course a high priority for any government, and the government will ensure that the available maintenance funds are carefully prioritised to ensure the highest benefits to road users through improved rideability, reduced crash risk and improved conditions for freight transport.

The figures illustrate that in 2008-09 the state government boosted the rural freight improvement program by $6.8 million, which is $26.8 million over four years. This program is aimed at addressing particular safety, traffic service level and asset preservation concerns in the state's Outback and rural areas. The state government has also established a targeted $29.4 million program over four years for the sealing of road shoulders on high priority rural roads based on traffic volumes, the nature of the road and crash rates.

This government I believe is spending something like $268 million this financial year on road maintenance, road rehabilitation, resurfacing and other road investment, nearly double the Liberal government's road transport investment spending in 2001-02. The economy has grown, yes.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! I think honourable members will all have to stop dieting on bird seed during the breaks.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: What this government spends overall in its capital expenditure has risen sixfold, but in relation specifically to road maintenance it has almost doubled. In fact, that illustrates the point that, right across the board, this government is spending more on the assets of this state than was spent in the eight years before we came to government.

There is no doubt that the need is acute. For example, our railway system in Adelaide had sleepers that were laid in the 1950s, and this government needed to find the money to upgrade the system—and it has. The Belair line has just been opened with new sleepering, and there will be very significant investment in future years in—

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: —the electrification of the rail system in Adelaide, which will take pressure off the roads. It is important for our rural sector and our rural produce to have access to the best ports, so this government has used this significant capital—

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Dawkins has question No. 8, if we ever get there.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: —expenditure on building not only ports for rural produce but also roads like the new Northern Expressway, which is well underway and which will make it much easier for people in the rural sector to get their produce to market. This government has funded a few things that are on the way in relation to bridges, rail links and so on.

In summary, under this government there has been very significant investment in both road maintenance and capital expenditure. This government cares for its rural constituents. I really look forward to members opposite coming up with all their plans for the next budget. I think they will have a lot of trouble getting the sums together, but we look forward to that.