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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-05-14 Daily Xml
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INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Housing and Urban Development) (14:09): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The state government is a strong believer in delivering key infrastructure projects for the people of South Australia. Since identifying the north-south corridor as the state's most strategically important transport route, the state government, with assistance from the commonwealth, has invested in major upgrades and infrastructure projects. This includes the creation of the Northern Expressway, constructing the Gallipoli underpass and tram overpass, duplicating the Southern Expressway and building the South Road Superway.

These projects total almost $2 billion of state and commonwealth investment in this crucial corridor. In tonight's federal budget the commonwealth government will announce it will fund its half of the next crucial stage of the north-south corridor, the $896 million South Road upgrade between Torrens Road and the River Torrens, sir, between our two electorates.

Today I can inform the parliament that the state government is also committed to delivering this project and will invest $448 million to fund our half of the project. The project will transform a critical 3.7-kilometre section of South Road which carries between 33,000 and 52,000 vehicles per day. The project will lower a section of the roadway between Torrens Road and the River Torrens, reducing bottleneck traffic disruptions, while retaining pedestrian, cyclist and local traffic crossings at ground level.

The new lowered roadway under Grange and Port roads will enable better movement for passing traffic while addressing congestion issues along the strategic north-south corridor. This will help to ensure a safer, faster and smoother ride for road users in and around this area. Today's announcement follows more than two years of detailed planning and negotiating with the commonwealth government and Infrastructure Australia.

This proposal arose from a two-year planning study between the Regency Road and Anzac Highway sections of South Road that allowed for input from businesses, residents, stakeholders and the wider community to develop an optimal design. The design was guided by the robust cost benefit ratio of 2.4 for this project. This means that for every dollar invested there was a benefit to the tune of $2.40 for the state and the people of South Australia. In comparison, the Darlington project proposed by the federal opposition, which is also grossly underfunded, has a cost benefit ratio of 1.

The state government is committed to delivering the Torrens to Torrens project, and we are planning to commence early works due to begin later this year. It is concerning that Dr Southcott confirmed on ABC radio this morning that if a Coalition Abbott government were to be elected they would scrap this project. He admitted that South Australia would get either the Port Road or the Darlington project. It is clear that the Leader of the Opposition must, for the first time in his 100 days, choose what project he supports. Either the Leader of the Opposition supports the Coalition's ad hoc, underfunded Darlington—

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: You gave me leave.

Ms CHAPMAN: The minister is clearly now debating the matter.

The SPEAKER: Yes; you're allowed to debate in a ministerial statement.

Ms CHAPMAN: I understand that, sir.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: Why are you up?

Ms CHAPMAN: It's a question of whether we withdraw leave or not.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: Try it.

The SPEAKER: That's a matter for the deputy leader.

Ms CHAPMAN: In light of the allegations that are now being slung out across the chamber, allegedly under the cover of a ministerial statement, I seek that the minister have his leave withdrawn.

The SPEAKER: Very well. Leave has been withdrawn, by the deputy leader. I call the Minister for Education.

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