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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-10-14 Daily Xml
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Strzelecki Track

Mr HUGHES (Giles) (15:42): My question is to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure. Can the minister update the house on his recent inspection of South Australia's outback roads and issues raised by members of the community?

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister Assisting the Minister for Planning, Minister Assisting the Minister for Housing and Urban Development) (15:43): I thank the member for Giles for his question, and he is very keen to hear what the impacts of this trip were. Earlier this month I had the pleasure of visiting South Australia's Far North with officials from the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure. A significant proportion of this trip was spent inspecting the condition of the 472 kilometre Strzelecki Track.

Given the location of the track and the types of vehicles travelling on it, the ongoing maintenance of this road is a significant task. In fact, while comprising only 5 per cent of the state's outback road network, the Strzelecki Track is allocated over 25 per cent of the unsealed road maintenance budget. It is expected that this figure will rise to 27.5 per cent for this financial year. These allocations reflect the importance that the government places on this very important transport corridor. The Strzelecki Track sees between 60 and 70 heavy vehicle movements a day, the majority of which service the Moomba gas fields or broader Cooper Basin activities, or communities in the remote north such as Innamincka.

This figure also reflects the high costs of maintaining the road to an appropriate standard. A significant issue for the outback road patrol gangs that service and maintain the track is the difficulty in obtaining quality hard rock and clay along the track. Due to the isolation of the region, the gangs are forced to use softer local materials which are not as durable. It would be prohibitively expensive to source better materials and transport them hundreds of kilometres to the track.

Another difficulty encountered by the road gangs is the sparse and infrequent rainfall in this region. Extended dry periods reduce the level of moisture available to aid the compaction of the road surface while undertaking grading works. This leads to the surface of the road deteriorating quickly. On the other hand, following periods of significant rain, sections of the road network can become impassable for varying lengths of time due to both flooding and muddy conditions.

In areas where there is a higher clay content, the road surface is very slippery and it is safer to close the road. Furthermore, heavy vehicles traversing wet, higher clay content roads cause deep rutting, which then dries out and creates impassable sections of road. At these times of rain, the gangs endeavour to make these road sections as safe as possible as quickly as possible in order to reopen the roads.

Given the reduction of nearly $50 million to the state's road maintenance budget following the Coalition's federal budget cuts, the need for a sustainable long-term solution for the Strzelecki Track has never been more important. As members may be aware, the former minister for transport and infrastructure, in February 2014, announced that the government had submitted a proposal to upgrade and seal the Strzelecki Track to Infrastructure Australia. The government is continuing to work with Infrastructure Australia and the commonwealth government regarding funding for this project.

It is also worth noting that, given the reliance of the Cooper Basin operators on the Strzelecki Track, there may well be an opportunity for the private sector to contribute directly to the cost of any upgrade. The government will work with the private sector to determine an appropriate mechanism to deliver a project that will increase productivity for those operators.

Overall, the government has 11 outback road patrol gangs. I would like to take this opportunity to commend the work that they do, given the difficult environment they work in, to ensure that South Australia's outback road network of over 10,000 kilometres remains at an appropriate standard.

Another important issue repeatedly raised with me is the issue of communications infrastructure. The lack of mobile phone and internet coverage was a significant concern that was raised by both residents and business operators in Innamincka, Marree, William Creek, Oodnadatta and Coober Pedy. Today, access to these services is vital, particularly for operators who rely on tourism. I will be writing to the federal minister for communications to raise the issue of mobile phone and internet access in South Australia's remote areas to advocate for an appropriate mechanism.

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