Western Suburbs Major Projects

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (15:02): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Leader of the Government, representing the Minister for Transport in the other place and the Premier, a question about major projects in the western suburbs.

Leave granted.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: Business owners on Adam Street are upset about the level of consultation over proposed changes to the intersection of Adam Street and Manton Street at Hindmarsh to accommodate an expected increase in city-bound traffic flow from the multibillion-dollar Torrens to Darlington project.

Without any consultation with businesses hurt when South Road was undergoing an upgrade two or more years ago, the department distributed a flyer in May proposing the removal of right-turn access from Manton Street into Adam Street, with access to Adam Street maintained only via a new projected right-turn lane at the Richard Street junction of Manton Street or, some distance away, by travelling south on South Road.

Affected businesses say the Richard Street manoeuvre is unsuited to larger vehicles like trucks and would also deter, confuse and inconvenience customers from attending those businesses. They say two brief meetings with the government have resolved nothing.

Intensifying their concerns and those of local Thebarton and Hindmarsh residents, the Premier announced plans for a targeted 1,000 homes and commercial properties on the cleared former brewery site on Port Road and separated by the Torrens River to adjacent Adam and Manton streets. Their fear is this project will create an enormous traffic headache in surrounding streets and is likely to involve reconfiguring traffic movement on Port Road. My question to the minister and the Premier is:

1. If the only traffic access to the brewery site is by travelling west either along busy Port Road or via much smaller side streets like George Street and West Thebarton Road, and with no access from Adam or Manton streets, can he and the Premier explain how and where the government intends to create the necessary entry points to this large urban redevelopment and at what cost?

2. Will compensation be paid to the affected businesses expected to suffer financial losses as a result?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:05): I thank the honourable member for his question and his interest in these areas. I will refer those questions to the relevant minister in the other place and bring back a reply for the honourable member.