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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-04-07 Daily Xml
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INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

Ms PORTOLESI (Hartley) (14:18): Will the Premier outline which major building projects have been completed and which projects are being delivered currently by the government of South Australia?

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (14:19): There is very much that the government can be proud of in terms of the massive building works program that we have announced and currently have underway—the biggest infrastructure spend, many times more than under the previous Liberal government, because we are generating jobs now by investing in the future. If you want figures—you will not provide figures—I am about to provide you with the figures.

Ms CHAPMAN: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: the Premier was asked to identify the projects that have been completed by this government, not have a debate about what the Liberal Party might be doing.

The SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order. The Premier has the call.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: No, she does not want a debate about what the Liberal Party might be doing—I can understand that. This is a building works program that, by the way, is employing many hundreds of workers and will continue to employ hundreds of workers as we roll out this plan over the next decade. The government's infrastructure program is responsible investment in the state's future—in the future of our children—and it supports and sustains real jobs now.

Our plan is one that is integrated and, importantly, costed and budgeted, unlike the Leader of the Opposition's plan. It is a real plan for real purposes, as opposed to uncosted fantasies for no clear reason.

Yesterday morning on radio, the Leader of the Opposition (or just 'Leader' as he likes to be branded) said this in reference to this government: 'They've had eight years. They've done nothing.' It shows how bad the Liberals' maths are, and it does not say much for the leader's powers of observation either. Those on the other side need the benefit of knowing the truth about such things, and that is another thing that the leader made clear on radio last week when he said, 'We need to start being honest with people.' That is what the leader said last week, but somehow that was not quite the case yesterday.

So, let me enlighten the other side about the truth of what has been going on for the past seven years while you have been looking the other way. Today I can announce that building works begin this week on two major government projects, with another beginning in just two weeks' time. I am delighted to inform the house that work on the $1.4 billion desalination plant has begun. Yesterday, work on the desalination plant began.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: I am informed that, yesterday, the consortium building the plant, Adelaide Aqua, swung into action on the site. Major construction work is now underway for the main plant construction—$1.4 billion worth. A convoy of heavy machinery has arrived at Port Stanvac, and Adelaide Aqua is now beginning the intensive construction program to meet the first water delivery by December 2010. Over the next few weeks, bulk earthworks will occur, the site facilities will be built, building foundations poured and stormwater swales constructed.

In addition to that, works begin next week on the very exciting extension to the tramline from the western end of North Terrace down to the entertainment precinct on Port Road. The construction of a $32 million tram overpass also begins next week. I remind the house that work on the $50 million expansion and the development of the Adelaide Entertainment Centre is currently underway and should be completed by early next year. The $100 million—

The Hon. K.O. Foley interjecting:

The Hon. M.D. RANN: And I am looking forward to the Leader of the Opposition being down there at the opening, because he says he is going to knock it down and then relocate it up the road, apparently on a fault line—on a fault line, the Entertainment Centre—and the huge stadium will be built on the fault line that they were talking about last week that nothing should be constructed upon; but never mind, they do not have a memory that lasts that long.

The $100 million tramline extension should also be completed by early next year. I am looking forward to that opening, and we will invite the Leader of the Opposition to come with us. The tramline extension will provide a major park and ride facility for commuters. The idea is that people can drive to the Entertainment Centre, park their cars and catch the tram into town.

Of course, our infrastructure minister only an hour or so ago announced the successful tenderer for master planning a new transport oriented development (TOD) on the 10 hectare Clipsal factory site, which is almost adjacent to the new tramline stop and the Entertainment Centre. That will be a whole new residential and commercial village built—the first of its kind along the new transport corridor created by the new tramline, an electrified rail corridor leading from the Port into the city.

Within two weeks preliminary works will begin on the site of the $130 million Glenside redevelopment—so, we are even looking after the deputy leader's electorate—of the new hospital and mental health facilities. But wait, there is much much more! Let me list some of the government's achievements so that no more members opposite can go to the public and be dishonest with them and say that this government has done nothing.

In terms of our capital works building program we have much to talk about. I understand, by the way, not the 5 per cent each year incremental increase, we are now about five times more spend and investment on infrastructure than when the Leader of the Opposition was a member of the cabinet. Apparently there was one brief shining moment. I want him to compare expenditure under the Liberals on infrastructure with our record investment in the future. The biggest infrastructure spend in the state's history. He wants figures, we will give him figures. We have:

Completed and launched the $31 million tramline extension from Victoria Square to City West, which members opposite supported, then opposed, then supported;

Completed and opened the $178 million Port River Expressway bridges (road and rail bridges);

Completed and opened the $41 million Bakewell Underpass;

Completed the $30 million upgrade of Port Wakefield Road;

Completed the Sturt Highway duplication from Daveyston to Greenock;

Started the Sturt Highway duplication from Gawler to Daveyston;

Opened the $118 million Gallipoli Underpass on the Anzac Highway;

Completed the $26 million Marina Adelaide project, a new marine and industrial precinct;

Completed a giant percentage of the new Techport shipbuilding facilities at Outer Harbour;

Completed the $24 million upgrade to the Le Fevre Peninsula transport corridor;

Completed the $45 million deepening of the port so that it can take the large Panamax shipping vessels;

Started the $564 million Northern Expressway;

Almost completed the $135 million stages A and B redevelopments of the Lyell McEwin Hospital, and started work on the $201 million stage C, effectively doubling the number of beds at the Lyell McEwin;

Completed the $40 million stage 1 redevelopment of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and halfway through the $127 million stage 2;

Started the $153 million redevelopment and expansion of the Flinders Medical Centre;

Started a $100 million-plus program of redevelopment of country hospitals, including at Berri and Whyalla;

Completed—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. M.D. RANN: No, I doubt whether you will read this in the paper. I will continue:

Completed the $17 million Margaret Tobin Mental Health Centre at the Flinders Medical Centre;

Completed a $12 million upgrade of the Murray Bridge Hospital;

Started and opened all 10 of the $29.5 million trade schools now operating in our high schools system;

As part of our $216 million Education Works budget, works are expected to begin later this year on six new super schools to be built at Playford North, Munno Para West, Blair Athol, Gepps Cross, Woodville Gardens and Taperoo—and, while timelines are still to be finalised, I am told that we are working towards the first two schools opening next year;

And we are nearing completion of the $60 million Glenelg Reuse Scheme that will pipe about 5.5 billion litres of treated water from the Glenelg Waste Waster Treatment Plant into the city to water our Parklands and make it available to 64 commercial buildings in the CBD.

Mr Speaker, I could go on and on. The revitalisation—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Don't forget, my record in this house on one clause was to speak for one hour and 59 minutes. It was a very important clause. It is just a shame that it wrecked a good night out for the front bench. It was Elton and Billy. The revitalisation of our metropolitan rail network has also started with work beginning on the $30 million Belair line upgrade at the end of April, due to be completed in August.

Work on the Noarlunga line will begin when Belair is completed, while we are hoping that the revitalisation of the Gawler line is brought forward by two years if the bid to the federal government's Infrastructure Australia fund is successful. Bids are also on the table for an extension of the rail network south to Seaford and the upgrade of the Torrens and Goodwood rail junctions.

Through responsible economic planning and prioritisation, this government has established a program of works to take us towards our ultimate goal of creating Australia's most liveable and sustainable capital city. It is an integrated plan of developments. It is a real vision with real buildings, real money and real jobs—a plan, not a fantasy—real jobs, costed, not uncosted, and that is the difference. It is about economic development, including growing our very lucrative defence industry, but also about creating export corridors and creating jobs and jobs and jobs in industries and businesses both big and small.

It is about securing our water future with desalinated water and building and maintaining our position as the city with the greatest water recycling capacity in Australia. It is about making our public transport system more efficient and environmentally friendly and faster so that people can get to where they are going quicker on quieter, better run and better scheduled services. It is about integrating the public transport, with better road networks and more medium density, cost efficient housing and business developments, so easing our burgeoning city traffic. That is what this government has done and what we are doing, compared to seven different hospital locations, three different options, a hospital on wheels and a stadium that will be, of course, their mirage in the city.

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