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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-05-13 Daily Xml
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O-BAHN EXTENSION

Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (15:13): My question is again to the Minister for Transport. How will the government separate pedestrian, car and O-Bahn-cum-busway traffic in Rundle, Grenfell and Currie streets, and what will be the impact of the O-Bahn development on the Parklands?

The Hon. P.F. CONLON (Elder—Minister for Transport, Minister for Infrastructure, Minister for Energy) (15:13): Members opposite are opposed to the extension of the O-Bahn. There is no doubt that if—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I get up, I draw a breath and members opposite all yell, 'Answer the question.'

The Hon. K.O. Foley: Before you even start talking.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Yes.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I am happy to. We received confirmation of the funding yesterday. Today we have appointed, already, a project manager. We have a number of design options. They will have an impact on the road. I point out that they may even have an impact on some of the roses that grow along that side of the road, which may upset some people. I have checked the legislation and, fortunately, we do not have any significant roses legislation.

There will be impacts. You cannot do things without impacts. The bottom line is that it is a net good. What happens at the moment is that, because of the way it was built, you get to the end of it fast and then you crawl into the city, with lots of emissions from the buses and lots of congestion. Well, we think it is worth doing. There are a number of design options. The next stage, I assume—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: As we have done on other award-winning projects, which you have criticised, the likelihood is that we will go out with outlined designs—there are a number of options there—and then engage an early contractor to get the best possible design. As the Deputy Premier has pointed out, there is in fact an existing former—

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the member for MacKillop!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: The difference between our three options and your fundamental lack of honesty is that before—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: No; let me tell you what the difference is. Before an election it will have crystallised into a route and into work, into a project—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Oh! I didn't realise that the three options are going to be decided before the election, and that they've changed their policy.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: There are challenges in design. There may be an impact—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: What is funny about that? Can somebody on this side tell me what is funny about challenges in design? There may well be road widening. We are going to have to talk to the Adelaide City Council. We do talk to the council and listen to them; not always, but we listen. And there will be impact. We may take a whole load of rose trees out, we may have to widen the road, but it is for a net public good. If you do not want to do a net public good, if you do not want these difficulties, then the easy way to avoid them is to do what you did for years and do nothing at all.

Mr Williams interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: We've got to get this guy. We've got to employ him as a stand-up comedy audience because he will laugh at anything.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Williams interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Goodness me! Please don't tell me that. Brad Pitt, over there, reckons I should be so lucky as to look like him. I am more than happy to sit down with whoever now is responsible for infrastructure on that side (they seem to have taken everything upstairs for some reason) and show them that we have a large body of work done to develop those options and show them what they are. What I know will happen is this: no matter what we do it will be criticised. No matter which route we choose, it will be criticised. No matter where we go, it will be criticised. These people are not interested in South Australia. These are the people—

Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order, Mr Speaker. The minister is clearly debating. I know he never answers a question—

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr WILLIAMS: —but this is question time.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for MacKillop will take his seat. The minister is engaging in debate.

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