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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-12-03 Daily Xml
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TRANSPORT, NORTHERN AREAS

Mr PICCOLO (Light) (14:36): Will the Minister for Transport outline the investment being made by the state government in transport in the northern and northern peri urban areas?

The Hon. P.F. CONLON (Elder—Minister for Transport, Minister for Infrastructure, Minister for Energy) (14:36): I thank the member for Light, Tony Piccolo, former mayor of Gawler. His experience as mayor has made him uniquely able to approach the government—in fact pester us on a regular basis—for intelligent programs in the north.

Mr Hanna interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: My cynical friend over there has things done for him when he has good ideas. He is the only man I know who went green more through envy than ideology.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Now I have Vickie Chapman saying, 'Still beat you'. This woman is the former next big thing who, every time I see her, goes one step backwards; so I do not think I should be lectured on success by the 'member for nothing to brag about'.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: But, please, do go on. As they say, she is the former next big thing—and can I say that the Deputy Premier is a much better cricketer than the Premier.

Of course, we have made enormous investment and commitment to investment in the north. I remind members that prior to the Labor government it was very much the forgotten north. It is now the engine room—

Mr Pisoni: That is why the Premier lives at Norwood.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I am sure that witticism meant something to those on that side. Unfortunately, it is lost on me.

The truth is that we have made the north the engine room for investment. Of course, the south is not forgotten with the extension of the train line to Seaford. Some $2 billion has been committed over 10 years to totally renew and transform the public transport system. As a result of intelligent advocacy, we are able to accelerate that, in particular in the north, with $293.5 million from the commonwealth to fast track works on the 43 kilometre Gawler line, which involves resleepering, electrification of the line, the upgrade of stations and the purchase of new rolling stock—the biggest purchase of rolling stock in the state's history; the biggest investment in transport in the state's history.

The first stage of works on the Gawler line is scheduled to commence in the first half of 2010. We already have an expression of interest out for the complete electrification of the rail system, costing $400 million. Electrification design works will be underway next year, with major site installation works in 2011, and the first electrified Gawler line service is to commence in 2013, which involves the purchase of 64 new electric trains. I think almost half of those are committed to the Gawler line, it being 43 kilometres and in such a growth area.

However, it is not just about trains in the north. People would also be aware that, of course, we are funding the biggest and most expensive road under construction at present in the Northern Expressway. I note that my friends on the other side, as Paul Caica says, hate good news. That is why Isobel Redmond is out saying you need a roof. I think that is to keep the drought out.

We are funding the $564 million Northern Expressway, being built as we speak, which will make a connection from just south-west of Gawler through to Port Wakefield and the Port River Expressway. For people travelling from Gawler it is an enormous boon, and for freight travelling to our newly deepened port it is an enormous boon.

It is not just about big projects; it is also about small projects. I place this on the record, despite the interruptions of the opposition who do not want to hear about a former mayor and a great local member working for his electorate. We saw Graham Gunn go today—a guy who did not do the cheap, tacky politics of his colleagues but who worked for his electorate—and what we have in Tony Piccolo is another man who places his electorate first, not his advancement in some tacky, disunified, treacherous rabble.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: They will calm down after a while, sir. I did notice that when they were not faking their laughter they were getting very quiet between answers yesterday. They were thinking, 'Oh, my god, what has happened to us? Why didn't McLachlan tell us?' But, as I said, it is not just about the big works; it is the unique capacity that Tony Piccolo has brought as a former mayor. I have to say this: I will have a competition with the Leader of the Opposition. I bet Tony Piccolo can tell you every road in his electorate, and I bet the Leader of the Opposition cannot. I bet she cannot tell you every road in her electorate. The truth is that, as a former mayor, he has known how to bring together local government—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: We will have a competition. I do not reckon she will get out of the starting blocks. But, let us face it: she may know more about the roads in her electorate than she knows about football, because she has never been to the football.

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson: She says she knows every road.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: She knows every road—we will have a go at that.

Mr PISONI: I have a point of order, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley.

Mr PISONI: Despite a written answer, the minister is drifting from the relevance of the question.

The SPEAKER: Yes, the Minister for Transport, I think, perhaps has digressed from the substance of the question.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I do apologise, sir, but the interjections, that do not stop when I am trying to explain to people what a great local member Tony Piccolo is, are very diverting.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I have got a written answer? I haven't, but I have to tell you that, if I did have a written answer, I would not have it supplied by David Pisoni, because his stuff in writing is very unreliable—isn't it Marty? But I do love it when he interjects. It is the little jobs as well, and it is Tony's—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I love their pain. It was Tony's being able to bring together the Gawler council, the Light council and the state government that meant we saw works like the resealing of the Jack Cooper Drive (Tony can tell you all about that); $1.4 million for a roundabout near the Wright Street junction; $700,000 on the Adelaide Road and 19th Street intersection; $330,000 out at Xavier College (and I know his great commitment to the people there); and $11,000 on median treatments. They may mock, but this is a man who delivers for his local electorate, not by going out and saying, 'Give it to me because I'm marginal,' but 'Give it to me because it is a good idea and we've got a good case.'

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: That is what Graham Gunn has been able to do for his electorate, with a Labor government. It is about putting the people in your constituency before your own shallow political ambitions. That is why the Leader of the Opposition should go out and learn about roads in her electorate. There is no doubt that the Labor government has been very good news for the north. What I would say is that the continued election—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: —of Tony Piccolo, mio amico, will see a continuation of that good work.

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