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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-02-16 Daily Xml
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ROAD SAFETY

Mr VENNING (Schubert) (15:26): The South Australia Police Annual Report 2010-11 shows that $75.5 million in traffic fines were collected in the 2010-11 year, only a slight decrease on the previous year, despite 694 fewer drivers being caught committing serious offences. Police have budgeted to collect over $100 million in fines in the current financial year, despite fewer motorists being caught. This rise can be attributed to two things: one, that the state government introduced new fines last July for minor and major defects; and two, because South Australia's traffic fines are now some of the highest in the nation—fewer categories with the highest penalties.

The minister, when defending the projected rise in revenue from traffic fines for the current financial year, said on radio, 'Every dollar that is collected from these fines goes into the Community Road Safety Fund.' I would be very interested to learn from the minister what projects and road safety initiatives have been funded from this fine-generated revenue. I think that $75.5 million would have funded many initiatives. It would be nice to have the detail and be assured that the moneys collected from motorists, paying some of the highest fines in the nation, is at least being expended on improving road safety and not just propping up state government coffers.

I would like to raise a very serious issue involving road safety in my electorate. There is a notorious intersection in historic Seppeltsfield—and you would have all seen this in pictures of the Barossa, Seppeltsfield is always front and centre—where car crashes are a regular occurrence. It is the intersection of Samuel, Stelzer and Seppeltsfield roads. The intersection is within the Light Regional Council, which has been successful in obtaining funding through the federal government's Black Spot funding program to improve the safety of the intersection.

The problem is that this work will not be fully completed until June 2013. In the meantime, more and more accidents are occurring. The long-term plan is to install a roundabout. However, this is dependent on the council, in conjunction with the department of transport, being successful in obtaining funds through the federal government's RDAF scheme. It is predicted that a roundabout would not be completed until June 2015.

The local CFS captain, Mr Michael Furnell, has warned that a fatality at the intersection is only a matter of time. The Nuriootpa CFS responded to four crashes at this intersection within a two-week period in January this year. Despite give way signs signalling an intersection on the approach to Seppeltsfield Road from either Samuel or Stelzer Road, visually it does not look as though you are approaching an intersection. Many of the crashes that have occurred have involved visitors to the region (tourists) who are not familiar with the roads.

I have been campaigning for a couple of years to have this intersection improved. I first contacted the Light Regional Council in October 2010 which resulted in some minor improvements—the trimming of the roadside vegetation to increase line of sight, etc.—which improved the situation slightly but the vegetation has now regrown. What is needed is increased signage warning motorists of the intersection to improve road safety. Stop signs and yellow crossroad signs should be installed immediately at very little cost as an interim measure until the intersection is upgraded.

Yes, unfortunately driver error may still mean some accidents occur but at least there has been an attempt to improve safety. I am aware that the RAA has inspected this site and that current signage meets the requirements of regulations. However, surely common sense must prevail. The crash statistics show that it is a dangerous intersection, irrespective of what the rule book says. I am not laying blame at anyone. This issue is much too serious for that. But how can we just sit back while more crashes occur. Do we need to wait for a fatality?

I understand that the roads are within the jurisdiction of Light Regional Council and not the government, but I implore both parties not just to submit an application for funds to install a roundabout by 2015 but to take some interim action now to prevent more injuries or worse happening.

Finally, I am very pleased with the announcement just last week that the Barossa Hockey Association at last will get a new synthetic pitch after 10 years of lobbying. Congratulations to Ms Courtney Ribbons and Mr David Smith from the Hockey Association, and thanks to the government for half a million dollars, with the other half a million dollars to come from the local council. It has been 10 years and well worth waiting for.

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