House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-06-18 Daily Xml

Contents

RAIL ELECTRIFICATION PROJECT

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:19): This question is to the Minister for Transport. Given that the government has claimed that they haven't actually abandoned the Adelaide to Gawler project: they have simply deferred it, I will ask you whether you can identify what the last published total price was.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Housing and Urban Development) (15:20): What we've done with Gawler—and the Leader of the Opposition interjected that we've put the poles up—what we want to avoid is what has happened with the Southern Expressway duplication where we have had to rebuild eight bridges because the members opposite built the one-way expressway, and they never ever—

The SPEAKER: Is this a point of order?

Ms CHAPMAN: Yes, it is clearly debate.

The SPEAKER: I will listen carefully to what the Minister for Transport has to say.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: So, to avoid situations where we are rebuilding infrastructure twice because of duplication—for example, another productivity commissioner or another infrastructure body to assess things independently—and, rather than duplication of bureaucracy and infrastructure, what we're doing is prudently making sure that, if the government is ever in a position to electrify all the way to Gawler, we won't be going back and digging up lines.

What we're doing is prudently making sure that we don't have to go back and retrofit infrastructure, much the way we've had to with the duplication of the Southern Expressway. I think the humiliating aspect of today is that with less than a year to the election there is no transport policy from the opposition—nothing. Less than a year and no regional policy, no health policy—

The SPEAKER: Thank you, Minister for Transport, that is debate. Member for Bragg.