House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-11-27 Daily Xml

Contents

TRANSPORT FUNDING

Mr MARSHALL (Norwood—Leader of the Opposition) (14:23): Thank you, sir. A further supplementary: given the consultation is underway, does the government have any cost estimate for this project—the CityLink or the EastLink trams?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Housing and Urban Development) (14:23): First and foremost, we make estimates regularly on transport projects, and the reason we have consultation is that they can change. When we are actually consulting with people, rather than announcing something and then consulting afterwards, what we are saying to people on Prospect Road, people who live in the inner northern suburbs, the inner eastern suburbs, the inner western suburbs and the inner suburbs about this plan is that we want to hear their views.

The reason we want to hear their views is so that we can inform our decision-making processes. Also, when you are in discussions with industry groups about these matters before you release them for public consultation, you do have indicative costs put to you. The reality is that if you flag to the market, well in advance, costs that are estimates, before consultation is completed—

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Heysen is called to order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —you do not get an accurate response in the tender process that is returned to you. In fact, what you are doing is setting yourself up to fail. What we want to do is make sure that we consult with people first.

The Hon. I.F. Evans interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Davenport is called to order.

The Hon. I.F. Evans interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Davenport is warned for the first time.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Mr Speaker, we will continue to consult on this plan. It is a good plan. It is a plan that the people of the seat of Adelaide are embracing in their droves. Perhaps that is why so many members opposite are so agitated by it; perhaps they can feel it all slipping away slowly.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Before we go on, the member for Adelaide interjected twice since she was warned for a final time. I wish to hear no more from the member for Adelaide for the remainder of question time, except if she has a question.