Regional Roads

The Hon. B.R. HOOD (14:56): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before addressing a question to the Minister for Regional Development on regional road safety.

Leave granted.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hanson, the Hon. Ms Girolamo, the Hon. Dr Centofanti, order!

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order, the honourable Leader of the Opposition!

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: You are not helping either, the honourable Leader of the Government. The Hon. Ben Hood, please ask your question.

The Hon. B.R. HOOD: Thank you, Mr President. As the minister would know, South Australia continues to, tragically, see more lives lost on our roads, with many of the 93 people killed in this state having lost their lives on regional roads. My questions to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, with the death toll now sitting at 93 for the year, are:

1. What assurances can the minister give to regional road users for their safety ahead of Labor's country cabinet, given the dire state of regional roads throughout our state?

2. As regional development minister, does she believe that there is adequate funding in the regional road safety infrastructure in her government's latest budget?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:58): I am sure we are all deeply saddened by the road toll that is so far in excess of where it was I think for the whole year last year. Certainly, my colleagues in the other place have commented on this both in terms of the tragedy that it is for the families of those who have lost their lives but also the communities that surround them, both in terms of the communities of those where the people who have died are actually local residents but also communities that are affected when the people are from outside of their area as well, of course, because emergency services workers, including many volunteers, are often the first responders to these tragedies.

The government has continued to give great attention to the issue of road safety. In terms of regional roads, of course, we have the specific minister in the other place, the Independent member for Stuart, such is the importance of this particular issue.