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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-02-14 Daily Xml
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SOUTHERN EXPRESSWAY

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (11:30): I move:

That this house notes the Rann government's failure to duplicate the Southern Expressway and the resulting disruption and inconvenience impacting on some 200,000 people living in the southern suburbs and their vehicular movement.

After the 1993 election, when the Liberal Party was elected to government under Premier Dean Brown, they had no money—money had been squandered and lost—and the sate was in a parlous financial position. However, the Liberal government, under Dean Brown at the time, moved to do something to assist the people in the south in their efforts to travel in that area, encompassing the southern suburbs, the Fleurieu Peninsula, the City of Adelaide and greater metropolitan area. What they put in place was the Southern Expressway.

The Southern Expressway was a prototype, and it was greeted with a degree of amusement in some quarters. However, what the then government did was to buy the land to duplicate the Southern Expressway when funding permitted and make sure that, in due course, it would be a two-way thoroughfare on all occasions. The then government fixed up the disastrous mess left by the Bannon Labor government and got the state back on to an even kilter but, as we well know, we have now had six years of the Rann Labor government and still nothing has happened to duplicate the Southern Expressway.

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson interjecting:

Mr PENGILLY: I would have thought that a minister in the position of the Attorney-General would have better things to do than make inane interjections all the time. His performance leaves a lot to be desired. The fact of the matter is that, after six years of the Rann Labor government, we have seen absolutely no action in the south in connection with the Southern Expressway, and it remains the same. The Southern Expressway has catered to the people in the south, and they love it. Do not be fooled by the propaganda that comes out of the ALP and the Rann government. The people in the south love the Southern Expressway, which has greatly facilitated their movement up and down the area as they go about their business. However, the expressway needs to be duplicated to cater for the profound growth that is going to take place in the south.

There is an ongoing lack of action. People in the south, whom I see quite regularly, are wondering who their members are, what is going on down there and why there is no action in the south while everything is going on in the northern suburbs. They are fed up to the back teeth with the lack of action and they want to see that job done. The people of the south are decent, law-abiding and hard-working people. They have had their fair share of travails and they continue to have their fair share of kicks in the guts. The closure of Lonsdale a few years ago and the imminent closure of Mitsubishi are things that these people have had to cope with. They have an extremely good council at Onkaparinga that cares very deeply about them and works very hard for them, led by a very capable mayor, Lorraine Rosenberg, who will take the fight right up to the Rann government and smack it about the ears whenever she feels it is necessary—which is going to happen on fairly regular occasions.

The people of the south deserve better treatment than that which they have received from this Rann government, and I want to make sure that their voice is heard. They have no voice in here. You never hear a thing about their plight. The constantly increasing traffic loads down south—

Members interjecting:

Mr PENGILLY: Can I hear a squeak? The Southern Expressway, on its own, obviously does not carry all the traffic from down south. Clearly, the Main South Road and Lonsdale Road are arterial routes as well, but I do not think any Labor Party members travel on those roads; in fact, quite frankly, they probably go no farther south than Anzac Highway.

It does handle an enormous amount of traffic down that way. When it is working in your favour, the expressway is terrific. On the occasions that it is going the wrong way, well, generally speaking, I use Brighton Road and Lonsdale Road on my way down to the Fleurieu Peninsula and my electorate. That only adds to the argument, of course, about the couple of hundred thousand people living south of O'Halloran Hill in the southern suburbs, and then the increasing population on the Fleurieu Peninsula and the corridors going down through to those tourist areas, the South Coast, Kangaroo Island, Victor Harbor, Goolwa, Port Elliot and Middleton, as well as Yankalilla and Normanville.

Of course, what we have also seen lately is the announcement by the Rann Labor government on the urban boundaries growth without, in the main, any consultation with the Onkaparinga council. The council is horrified at what is being thrust upon it. It really cannot understand the logic of what the government has done down there in announcing these boundary growths. It is horrified at the thought of it. It is getting nothing to cater for the infrastructure that will be required. The council is up in arms about it. It is speaking to the opposition on regular occasions about it, because it is getting no hearing from its local government members.

The council is talking to us. I guess that one of the beauties of being a member of the Liberal Party is that we actually listen to people instead of putting out symbolic media announcements and going absolutely nowhere. In addition, the Minister for the Southern Suburbs appears to have gone missing. I can tell members where his office is. If you go off Beach Road, it is just around the corner opposite the Christies Beach Police Station. It should not be hard for him to find. He should be able to go down there. He can go down there and listen to the people, and he might actually find out what is going on in the south.

I go past there. I can take him down and show him where his office is—not a problem whatsoever. I see it regularly. It has a big red banner out the front, but there is no sign down there of the Minister for the Southern Suburbs, I am afraid. I think it is about time that this government got serious about the south. It is about time it got serious about completing that brilliant project that was started by the Brown government—the Southern Expressway—and duplicating it. Do not let it do what premier Bannon did with the MATS plan. He sold off all the land on South Road and left a mess down there. Do not let the government do that.

I hope that the people of the south hold this government to account and stick it right up it at the next election. Just show this government exactly what it has not done down there. It has forgotten about them. It has done nothing; and it will pay the supreme sacrifice.

The SPEAKER: Order! There is a point of order. Attorney-General.

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: I rise on a point of order, Mr Speaker. Could I ask whether the term 'stick it right up them' is parliamentary?

The SPEAKER: I do not think it is unparliamentary, although it is an unfortunate expression. I ask the honourable member to tone down his language a little. The member for Finniss.

Mr PENGILLY: The expression is well used on the radio. It is not an uncommon expression. In fact, Rex Hunt uses it all the time. 'Stick it right up them,' he says; 'stick it right up them.' The motion is about the lack of the government's commitment in the south and the fact that it has totally failed to do what is required: complete the Southern Expressway and make it a both way thoroughfare. Government members are failing down south. They are on the nose down there. The Minister for the Southern Suburbs is on the nose down there. Walk around the traps, talk to the people, go to the football, go to the shops, belt your way around the streets and talk to a few people and you will find out. I think it is an absolute disgrace that it has not been completed by this government. This government has done nothing down south.

Mr KENYON (Newland) (11:39): Let us not forget why we are here. The reason we are even having this debate is the incredible stupidity of building a one-way road in the very first place, and who did that? The members complaining about it now are the very people who built the road in the first place. They give you the problem and then whinge about it afterwards. It is not an uncommon course of action from the opposition; they have done it on a number of other issues.

We have this incredible stupidity of building a one-way road, when I am advised that the one-way road cost $162 million, whereas for an extra $73 million at the time (less than half the price) they could have made it a dual carriageway. Did they do that? No. So we now have the member for Finniss preaching to us about how awful it is; yet the very party that gave us the problem are now the people whingeing about it.

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson: The guilty party.

Mr KENYON: The guilty party. That's right. This very problem was given to us by that party and now they have the gall to come in here and whinge about it. Despite the stupidity of not spending the money at the time to duplicate the road, I have to grudgingly admit that it has a certain amount of logic to it, because 70 to 80 per cent of the traffic flow at any one time is in peak hour. So, while the road is a monument to poor policy and poor planning, it actually still serves a certain purpose.

The best you can say for it is that it is not now the biggest problem in the south in terms of transport. The biggest problem in the south is moving from south to north, and it is actually having an effect on the economy of the southern suburbs. This is why the government is moving to improve the transport corridor from the southern suburbs to the northern suburbs. The most urgent things now are things like the South Road/Anzac Highway underpass because these are the things that will speed up that north-south traffic, and that is the single most important economic issue that the southern suburbs face.

So, moving this sort of a motion, highlighting the stupidity and the poor policy planning of the original proposal of building a one-way road—when for less than half the price extra you could have had a dual carriageway—is just point-scoring from a man who probably only actually spends time in the southern suburbs when he is driving through them. A lot of the motions that come before the house, I am sorry to admit, are a waste of time, and this is just another.

Mrs Geraghty: Ill thought out.

Mr KENYON: Ill thought out. A waste of the parliament's time. This is just a further example. There are a few more that I am looking forward to speaking to later and pointing out their silliness. Let us never forget a few facts. The first fact is that it was a poorly carried-out project in the first place by the Liberal government of the time.

For less than half the cost of the completed project, they could have duplicated the road. The best that can be said for that road is that it is not now the major traffic problem in the southern suburbs. There are more urgent transport problems, and they are being addressed by the government.

Mr VENNING (Schubert) (11:43): I was a member of the government at the time that decision was made. I was also a member of the then minister's (Hon. Di Laidlaw) backbench committee and there was much discussion about that. The decision was quite clearly this: it was either that or nothing. It would have cost $75 million extra to make it a dual highway. It was always the intention to build the dual highway when we could afford it.

You must understand that this was in the shadow of the State Bank. There was little money. We had acute problems in the south with traffic, and the leader said, 'Okay, what is best? Is it this?' We are the first to admit that this is not the most desirable position, but it was either this—having one-way traffic—or nothing; and my leader has already flagged that in government we will do the duplication.

While in government we had the foresight to get the land together, so the land has already been acquired for the duplication. There are no land acquisitions necessary. Some of the bridges are designed already to take the extra load of the dual highway. What we have works pretty well. As a member of the then minister's committee, we solved a real traffic problem for the south. The government can solve this problem today by announcing the duplication of the freeway, and we would support that. In fact, the leader has already locked us into our position, with the vision he has put forward for Adelaide, which is a long-term, all-encompassing vision.

I pay the highest tribute to the previous government, particularly minister Laidlaw, who went to the treasurer at the time—and he was pretty tight; he had to be because we had no money—and put a case for a highway that was going to at least solve the problem for peak hour traffic to and from the south.

An honourable member interjecting:

Mr VENNING: Yes, I know there are problems, particularly during the changeover times, and there are costs associated with surveillance, the police, and everything else that is necessary. But, as for the $75 million, we did not have it. Thanks to the State Bank and thanks to your government, we did not have the money. That was the best we could afford, and I believe that, in the interim, it has been successful.

Yes, we look forward to the time when it will be duplicated, and I certainly support the member for Finniss in this regard. It is time that we looked at it. With the money the government has at its disposal right now, why don't you announce it today? Come out and say to the member for Finniss, 'We agree. We are in government; we are the good blokes, and we will make ourselves the good fellows and pay for the duplication.' The cost was $75 million then; it is probably $100 million now.

With the amount of money that is going through your fingers—the amount you spend on your spin teams and the money that just evaporates in your hands—surely this is something you can do, not for the people of the state but for the people of the south. Just check who is holding those seats down there: you are. If you had half a brain, you would be doing this. We are going to fix it, anyway, because after the next election I am going to be back here. Half a dozen members on the government back bench will not be here then, and I am going to say, 'I told you so,' and I am going to be pretty happy about that. I support the member for Finniss and his very good motion.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (11:47): I rise today in support of what I regard is the member for Finniss's exceptional motion.

Mr Kenyon interjecting:

Mr PEDERICK: I have a couple of comments for the member for Newland. He wanted to know whether I am a frequent visitor to the southern suburbs. My in-laws actually live in Willunga, in the seat of Mawson. So, the member for Newland had better do his homework on his cheat sheets a bit better.

An honourable member interjecting:

Mr PEDERICK: Yes, I travel the Southern Expressway quite frequently when I am in Adelaide and heading out that way. So, I suggest the member for Newland takes a little more advice before he comes in here and makes inane suggestions. As far as inane suggestions go, the Attorney-General has not learnt. We brought in a few people when we rang the bells last night, and we will continue to do it, with his inane observations during the discussion of bills, and upset his people while they are having dinner. I am quite happy to do that continuously.

While I am discussing this motion, and seeing that the member for Newland likes to make a large contribution to the debate, I note that in an earlier contribution he seemed to think that it was not fitting to discuss bills and motions in this house and suggested that some of them relate to only a few people. Well, I thought the whole idea of a democracy is that we are in this place to represent the people, whether it be one person or a thousand people. If he is not happy to be in this place, why don't we just have a by-election in Newland and he can go and find something more fulfilling if he wishes.

I think he needs to check his margin, and he might find there will not be a Labor member sitting there next time. If he does not want to represent the people in this house, he is in the wrong job and perhaps he had better go back to doing whatever he thinks is better—I think it is studying nuclear energy; he is very pro nuclear power. The member Schubert made it quite clear why a former Liberal government made it a one-way expressway, but it is an expressway that is a lot more than the Labor Party ever provided. I will admit that, when I am in Adelaide, it does make it quicker for me to visit my in-laws in Willunga and also for the return trip.

The Hon. R.G. Kerin: And get away from the mother-in-law.

Mr PEDERICK: I will not respond to that, member for Frome. It certainly is an excellent expressway. The reason was that we had no money because the Labor Party had bankrupted this state by $11 billion, and we were finding our way clear. We were lucky to have something.

I refer to the lack of regional road funding in this state. A $200 million backlog exists and many other roads need repair. With regard to the people whom I represent in the south, that is, towards Clayton and Milang—and if I have the opportunity, the people from Goolwa—thousands of them would be using the road and I am sure they are very happy with the construction of the one-way expressway. I call on the government to make it a two-way expressway asap. I commend the motion.

Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder) (11:51): I wish to speak briefly in support of this motion, too. While I am from a regional area of South Australia and, when I am in Adelaide, I live in the northern part, my mother has lived in Happy Valley for 20 years. Therefore, I have been a frequent user of this section of the road. I experienced it when it was purely the old South Road choice. Now the extension comes out near her house in Mandalay Drive, so I am lucky in that regard. To me it seems as though the Liberal government, when in power from 1993, built what it could afford—it is as simple as that. We have heard the member for Newland talk about the fact that the duplication would have been an additional $73 million. The fact is that you have to have $73 million. With the debt that was left behind from Labor management of this state—$11.5 billion in total and $3.5 billion from the State Bank—there was no other option for the Liberal Party, but to really—

The Hon. J.W. Weatherill interjecting:

Mr GRIFFITHS: Yes, things were built. That is an example of things they managed to put into budget. The fact that we are debating this today is systematic of the fact that infrastructure is needed across Adelaide and, indeed, all regional South Australia. I continually have people coming to my electorate office complaining about the quality of Transport SA roads. They are up and down; the shoulders are not wide enough; or the shoulders are broken off and there is a six-inch lip on the edge and they are dangerous. Millions of dollars need to be spent on infrastructure.

Before the election, the RAA was talking about a $200 million backlog on road maintenance. It would have to have grown enormously since that time. The state needs to ensure that it has a transport plan which identifies the work that needs to be done, and that funding is prepared for it, too, because it is just not good enough.

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson interjecting:

Mr GRIFFITHS: Yes, the Attorney-General notes the Paskeville to Arthurton road. That is quite rough in a few areas.

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson interjecting:

Mr GRIFFITHS: I am talking about all regional South Australia needing it and all the metropolitan areas. It is important for the efficiency of our business networks that we have a road network that will ensure that product arrives where it needs to be as quickly as possible. Two hundred thousand people live in the south. It is obvious to me that growth will still be occurring enormously over the next decade. It is important that the government plans now to have the infrastructure in place for all those people who make a fantastic contribution to the economy of this state.

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (11:53): I am very grateful to the other members who have supported this motion this morning. A few comments were made from the other side of the chamber, which one would expect, but the simple fact is that we did not have the money to complete the Southern Expressway when we were in government—that is all there was to it. As has been correctly pointed out on numerous occasions, we did jobs that needed to be done: the first stage of the Southern Expressway; 19.6 km on the Morgan-Burra road; and other things. It was always in the best interests of South Australia, rather than symbolic gestures in the media and announcements about doing absolutely nothing. We will come to a few more of those later. I am grateful that my colleagues on this side of the house supported me, because we do know where the south is.

We want people down there to be aware that the Liberal Party is considering how best to assist them when we regain government. Of course, the first thing that should happen before the next election that I would like to see is perhaps a little bit of action down south by the Rann government and for it to get busy on the expressway.

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson interjecting:

Mr PENGILLY: Well, we cannot expect miracles. The member for Croydon is busying himself trying to interrupt everyone, but the fact of the matter is that he would be far better off doing his ministerial business and getting out and seeing people. But, returning to the point of the argument, the motion relates to the Southern Expressway and the need to finish that road. Once again, I thank my colleagues for their support and will put the matter in the hands of the house.

The house divided on the motion:

AYES (14)

Chapman, V.A. Evans, I.F. Goldsworthy, M.R.
Griffiths, S.P. Gunn, G.M. Hamilton-Smith, M.L.J.
Kerin, R.G. McFetridge, D. Pederick, A.S.
Penfold, E.M. Pengilly, M. (teller) Redmond, I.M.
Venning, I.H. Williams, M.R.

NOES (28)

Atkinson, M.J. Bedford, F.E. Bignell, L.W.
Breuer, L.R. Caica, P. Ciccarello, V.
Conlon, P.F. Foley, K.O. Fox, C.C.
Geraghty, R.K. Hill, J.D. Kenyon, T.R. (teller)
Key, S.W. Koutsantonis, T. Lomax-Smith, J.D.
Maywald, K.A. McEwen, R.J. O'Brien, M.F.
Piccolo, T. Portolesi, G. Rankine, J.M.
Rau, J.R. Simmons, L.A. Stevens, L.
Thompson, M.G. Weatherill, J.W. White, P.L.
Wright, M.J.

PAIRS (2)

Pisoni, D.G. Rann, M.D.


Majority of 14 for the noes.

Motion thus negatived.

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