Cycling Sector

The Hon. M.C. PARNELL (14:43): My supplementary question relates to the various facts and figures that the minister usefully put on the record, to which I will add the fun fact that bicycles have outsold cars in South Australia for 16 years in a row, but that is apropos of nothing. My question of the minister is: given the massive economic benefit that cycling can have to an economy like South Australia's, does he believe that it is reasonable that less than 1 per cent of the transport budget is spent on cycling?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (14:43): I thank the honourable member for his question. It is a very good question. I have to say that the cycling infrastructure we have around Adelaide compares very well to most other jurisdictions in Australia. I talk to people around December and January who are over here from other states, and they have very favourable comments about the cycling infrastructure around South Australia.

I can add from personal experience that, even this morning riding into work from Port Noarlunga to the city, the vast majority of my ride in is off the road, whether it is the veloway along the Southern Expressway or veloways along tram and train tracks. We have good cycling infrastructure in South Australia, but this is no reason to rest on our laurels. We need to keep standing up and doing what we can in South Australia, so we will continue to invest in cycling infrastructure.