House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-11-06 Daily Xml

Contents

King Electorate Road Upgrades

Ms LUETHEN (King) (13:47): My question is to the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

Ms LUETHEN: Can the minister update the house on his visit to the King electorate and the state government's commitment to install a slip lane for Skyline Drive in Hillbank?

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL (Schubert—Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government, Minister for Planning) (13:48): I would like to thank the member for King—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Premier will not interject. The member for Florey will also not interject.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —for her question, noting her as another keen advocate who I have taken the opportunity of going and seeing firsthand about some of the road issues, especially through the more regional parts—

The Hon. L.W.K. Bignell interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Mawson is warned.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —of her electorate. I also note that when handing down a strong and tough budget, a budget that helped to make sure that we are back in the black—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —that we are able to deliver on all of our election commitments that actually keep faith with the people of South Australia where we are, indeed, just getting on and doing what it is that we said we would do in the first place, so there's $343,000 in this year's budget for delivery this year of a slip lane at Skyline Drive. The reason we need to highlight election commitments such as these is because it's not the big whizzbang, hard hat, get out the ribbon kind of project, but it's a project that matters to a number of hundred people who live off of Black Top Road.

In fact, when we went to visit, noting the huge number of trucks that pass by what is otherwise a pretty narrow and windy stretch of road through that part of outer Adelaide, while we were there a woman who was on her way to pick up the kids from school stopped, got out of the car and said, 'G'day. Are you guys here looking—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: This lady got out of the car and we had a chat. She said, 'Are you here talking about fixing Skyline Drive?' and we said, 'Well, yes, we are.' She said, 'Actually, a couple of weeks ago, I was driving up this stretch of road and the driver behind me rear-ended me.' It turns out that the driver behind her, right at that Skyline Drive turn-off, had actually fallen asleep at the wheel and created a minor accident. She said, 'I really need this slip lane.' It is at a part of the road network that is difficult to see, especially as you come around the bend, especially for trucks.

The opportunity to introduce a slip lane to be able to get these people out of the way of oncoming traffic is extremely important and will really help, especially as we see these trucks find it difficult to gather pace, essentially, going up the hill, so they undertake action that is not necessarily that safe. Providing this slip lane will make sure that we get those who want to turn left off into a safe and enclosed part of the road network, whilst those trucks that are trying to build up steam to get up the hill at Black Top Road can do so much more safely.

This an extremely important commitment to—fair enough—a few hundred South Australians. The ability that we have, and the way that we listened before the election to people with specific issues such as this, and how we now get on and keep faith with the voters to deliver those commitments, is extremely important. This all happens off the back of the advocacy of fantastic local members like the member for King.

I look forward to updating the house further on the delivery of this project and other projects, especially around Golden Grove Road, especially around Modbury Hospital, especially around delivering a park-and-ride at Golden Grove, to deliver on the very significant commitments we made to the north-east of our state at the election and how we are going to show South Australians that we are delivering.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Before I call the next question, I warn for a first time the member for Hammond. The member for Ramsay, the member for Kaurna and the member for Playford are now on two warnings.