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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2019-04-03 Daily Xml
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Regional Roads

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee) (14:23): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier advise the house why South Australia will receive only 3.1 per cent of the $1.54 billion of the Roads of Strategic Importance fund across the forward estimates?

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL (Schubert—Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government, Minister for Planning) (14:23): This almost reads like a Dixer. Last night's budget—

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan: It seemed a bit far off 11 per cent.

The SPEAKER: The member for Lee can leave for 20 minutes under 137A.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: You know he's asking questions—

The SPEAKER: And the member for West Torrens will join him for 20 minutes under 137A.

The honourable members for Lee and West Torrens having withdrawn from the chamber:

The SPEAKER: The minister has the call.

The Hon. J.A.W. Gardner interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Education is warned.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: I was having this discussion over the past 48 hours about what the significance is of the regional roads funding package that we have been able to secure for South Australia. In the minds of the department—and I am waiting for this to be confirmed for the house—this is the largest injection of money into regional South Australian roads in our state's history.

Not only did we get what we asked for—and that is $360-odd million worth of projects to do Horrocks Highway, a road that I know has been in my heart and also the member for Frome's heart for a long period of time—we are also duplicating the Victor Harbor Road down to McLaren Vale, again, a project that has been talked about for decades. These were the two highest priorities of the RAA in the lead-up to the state election—delivered within the first 12 months of the Marshall Liberal government.

More than that, there are simple things that we need to do. So far this year, we have seen over 30 people die on our roads, most of whom were in our regions, and unfortunately too many of them were motorcyclists. This money will save lives. It is now a package not only of the $360 million that we asked for—an extra $260 million for the Barrier Highway, Eyre and Lincoln Highways and for the Sturt Highway—but, on top of that, in last night's budget they gave us $200 million towards the Princes Highway, a road that runs from the border right up to the Bald Hills Interchange where it stops, starts again at Virginia, heads all the way north on the Augusta Highway, and then across.

This money will save regional people's lives and I could not be more proud to be part of a government that has delivered. For those regional people in South Australia who have been waiting 16 years to finally have their voice heard, that voice has been heard, and this government, in conjunction with Michael McCormack and the federal government, has delivered.

These projects start in the forward estimates, but there are more conversations that we need to have with each of those communities about priorities within those buckets of money. That money is there. That money will be spent, but we are going to have a conversation with the community about what the priorities are for those projects. This won't be sexy work. This isn't some big ribbon-cutting exercise. This is overtaking lanes. This is shoulder sealing. This is pavement correction and resealing work. This is about upgrading priority intersections not just for road safety but also for productivity for the trucks and the exports that we need to get out of this state in an efficient manner. We finally have the money on the table to do that.

For those opposite to suggest that somehow we got dudded is absolutely ridiculous and it just shows up the fact that they don't understand what's going on. The glib way—

Mr Duluk interjecting:

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

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —in which they treat the people of regional South Australia is disgusting. What we have put on the table in this budget is actually going to save lives in regional South Australia. I am so proud to be part of a Marshall Liberal government that has done just that.

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