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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-02-20 Daily Xml
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Infrastructure Projects

Ms LUETHEN (King) (14:10): My question is to the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government and Planning. Can the minister update the house on the major transport and road infrastructure projects the Marshall Liberal government is delivering?

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL (Schubert—Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government, Minister for Planning) (14:10): I am very happy to rise to answer this question from the member for King—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Leader!

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Leader! The leader is still here. He will get the next few questions.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: The member for King, I am sure, took great delight, as I did and as all South Australians did, in the Northern Connector open day on Sunday, an opportunity for people to be able see, touch and feel—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —their $885 million worth of road that they paid for. I did see over the weekend some tweets, some tiles, that may not have put the Labor Party logo next to the phrase 'northern connector'. It was quite interesting. I didn't realise that the Labor Party from its own coffers actually put money into that project. It actually wasn't theirs: it was the taxpayers of South Australia who actually helped build that road, and it is why it was exciting that they got to see what they got for their money, and certainly they came out in their thousands.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: Some 5,000-odd of them rocked up. Basically, we had eight buses on loop being able to show people the road that they paid for. But, more than that, one way that we need to think about delivering on our record investment in transport and road infrastructure is about the skills and training opportunities that we provide as part of these projects.

Back in late 2018, the Minister for Innovation and Skills helped to upgrade the industry participation policy requirements to include training and apprenticeship outcomes as part of the 15 per cent requirement for nominated hours to go towards—as well as other things, like Aboriginal employment and long-term employed people—providing opportunities as part of tender processes for every project over $50 million to include outcomes for trainees and apprenticeships.

This is an extremely important step forward because not only do we want to create jobs for today but we actually want to help create the jobs of tomorrow. Over the course of the next four years, as we roll out our $12.9 billion worth of infrastructure investment in this state, there are a whole host of projects on which we are going to see the benefits of this policy come to the fore, such as the Regency Road to Pym Street section of the north-south corridor where the contract has already been awarded. That project is underway, a $54 million project that is already training and upskilling people in Adelaide, in South Australia, to be able to deliver our road projects locally.

We will very shortly award contracts in relation to the Joy Baluch Bridge at Port Augusta, as well as the Port Wakefield overpass and duplication—two great projects in regional South Australia that are going to provide benefits for locals, not only the jobs of today but jobs for them for the future.

As we go over the course of this year, whether that be the Torrens Road-Ovingham level crossing grade separation in the member for Croydon's electorate, or whether that be the Hove level crossing in the member for Black's electorate—and I note the member for Gibson also has a pretty keen interest in that one—we will see opportunities out there. Whether that be the Portrush Road-Magill Road intersection, the Fullarton Road-Cross Road intersection, or the Goody/Springbank/Daws roads intersection, these projects are all going to see people being skilled and trained to be able to make sure that we get as much work as possible here for South Australians, not just for today but for the future.

We are doing all we can to make sure that the $12.9 billion of taxpayers' hard-earned money that this government is choosing to spend on infrastructure projects delivers back to people by making sure that they get the training and skills outcomes that help to skill South Australia and making sure that we provide them with the economic benefit and the society they deserve.

The SPEAKER: I only gave the leader two questions, but I will even it up now.

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