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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-03-05 Daily Xml
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SOUTHERN EXPRESSWAY

Mr SIBBONS (Mitchell) (14:37): My question is to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure. Can the minister update the house about the progress of the duplication of the Southern Expressway?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Housing and Urban Development) (14:37): I thank the member for Mitchell for his question and his keen interest. Yesterday, a milestone was reached in the duplication of the Southern Expressway when the second bridge, the $4 million Seacombe Road bridge, was reopened to traffic; and I am sure the member for Mitchell is very pleased at that occurrence, as are other members of the house.

Bridge extension works are critical to the duplication of the Southern Expressway, and the Seacombe Road bridge, which was closed in May last year, is just one of the nine road bridges on the Southern Expressway requiring extensions to make way for the new expressway carriageway. We can look forward to the O'Sullivan Beach Road, Elizabeth Road and more road bridges progressively opening in the coming months.

I remind the house that this government is duplicating the 18.5-kilometre expressway to create a multilane, two-way expressway between Bedford Park and Old Noarlunga. The project is a key part of the development of Adelaide's north-south corridor. The government is very proud of the work that has been undertaken on this $407.5 million project, and I am advised that it is creating 1,040 direct jobs and 190 indirect jobs.

Furthermore, it is pleasing to see that South Australian companies are getting their fair share of the work. Eighty-seven per cent of the contracts awarded for work on the project have gone to South Australian businesses. Twenty-six per cent of those businesses are located in the south. The government is committed to having high levels of local employment and it is pleasing to see this project meet our ambitious target of 50 per cent of workers being employed in the southern regions of Adelaide throughout 2012.

Unfortunately, not everyone shares this ambition of ours. The opposition thinks this money is creating false economies. Maybe you should tell that to the thousand workers on the site if you have the courage. Maybe you should tell—

The SPEAKER: The minister will be seated. The minister is debating the question, and he is not responsible to the house for the policies of the opposition.

Mr Pederick: Chuck him out.

The SPEAKER: While I consider that, the member for Unley.

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