BLACKWOOD RAIL OVERPASS

The Hon. M. PARNELL (15:23): By way of further supplementary, does the minister accept that, given that the state government has taken away an accessible crossing, it is up to the state government and not the local council to fund an adequate replacement?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (15:23): I do not accept the premise of the question—it is ridiculous. What I do accept—

The Hon. M. Parnell: You have taken away an accessible crossing.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Well, the government is actually putting in place a safe crossing and not leaving an unsafe crossing in its place.

The Hon. M. Parnell: It's not accessible.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: If the Hon. Mr Parnell wants to continue with the position as it is, then be it on his head if there is a fatal collision between a train and a passenger trying to cross at that position. The government is addressing a patently unsafe crossing and we should be congratulated for doing so. I accept—and the department accepts—that there is more work to do in convincing the community of the need to change the crossing. We need to convince the community of the need to change that potentially fatal and unsafe crossing to a much safer one.

The Hon. K.L. Vincent interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: We need to put the options before the community and convince them of the safety requirements that are required at that at-grade crossing, and that is precisely what we will be doing.