HANSARD
SITTING CALENDAR
SEARCH
LIVE BROADCAST
Hansard Dynamic Member Index
House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-02-09 Daily Xml
Contents
Xml

Public Works Committee: Lefevre Peninsula Upgrades

Mr BROWN (Florey) (11:48): I move:

That the 18th report of the committee, entitled Lefevre Peninsula Upgrades, be noted.

The public works submission from the Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT) proposes to upgrade two junctions along Victoria Road at Pelican Point Road and Veitch Road as well as modify Victoria Road between the two junctions to integrate the works with future development.

The Lefevre Peninsula is located 18 kilometres north-west of Adelaide's central business district in the City of Port Adelaide Enfield. Victoria Road is the dual carriageway, main arterial road connecting the northern end of Lefevre Peninsula to the Port River Expressway at Port Adelaide. Victoria Road is part of the National Land Transport Network, providing the primary route for freight access to Outer Harbor and the container terminal.

The Osborne Naval Shipyard on the northern Lefevre Peninsula is home to Australia's two largest naval projects, being the Future Submarine and the Future Frigates projects. It is also home to the maintenance activities for the existing Collins class submarines. Activity in the area is expected to grow significantly as the site expands to become the centre of these new shipbuilding and submarine programs.

In addition to being a nationally critical defence precinct, the peninsula is strategically important to the state's economic growth. Industrial development is planned that will increase economic activity and employment in the area and generate more freight movements to and from Outer and Middle Harbors.

Roughly 13,000 vehicles pass through the junction of Victoria Road and Beach Road per day, while 8,000 vehicles pass through the junction of Victoria Road and Pelican Point Road. Between 2017 and 2021 there were 51 reported crashes, including 11 with serious injury, on the section of Victoria Road between Oliver Rogers Road at North Haven and Indarra Street, Taperoo.

With these statistics in mind, the key aims of these upgrades are to enhance road safety by optimising junction design on Victoria Road, to increase capacity and improve access for heavy vehicles, and improve travel times for road users, including freight transport vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. These improvements are all expected to increase access to jobs in the area, support future land development, and promote industrial growth on the peninsula.

The proposed upgrades to Victoria Road and Pelican Point Road junction include the realignment and signalisation of the Victoria Road and Pelican Point Road junction as well as dedicated right-turn lanes on Victoria Road and Pelican Point Road into the defence industry car parks. The upgrades to Victoria Road and Beach Road junction include new signals, pedestrian crossing lights and ramps.

Access to two future naval infrastructure car parks will be created off Victoria Road and Pelican Point Road. These car parks will provide a capacity of 3,600 spaces for the sizeable workforce required. The upgrades will also include improvements to rail and road infrastructure in the vicinity of the Pelican Point Road level crossing.

The Australian and South Australian governments have jointly committed $100 million, split fifty-fifty, towards the upgrades. Construction was scheduled to commence late last year, with completion and commissioning in 2024. The upgrades are expected to support approximately 205 full-time equivalent jobs per year averaged over the construction period.

A community and stakeholder engagement plan has been prepared by DIT and consultation has commenced with a range of stakeholders, including but not limited to the City of Port Adelaide Enfield, traditional owners of the land, and utility services providers. DIT confirms that communication will continue throughout the delivery of the works to ensure stakeholders are kept informed, with a project website, dedicated contact number and email address.

Biodiversity Park, established and managed by Renewal SA, is a recreational area dedicated to the conservation of biodiversity, with walking and bicycling limited to defined park networks. The project area impacts the eastern boundary of Biodiversity Park, including some pedestrian pathways. DIT assures the committee that it will consult with Renewal SA, the City of Port Adelaide Enfield, and interested community groups to design and construct treatments to restore and improve accessibility to and within the park, as well as support additional opportunities for enhancements.

The committee has examined written and oral evidence in relation to the Lefevre Peninsula upgrade. Witnesses who appeared before the committee were: Mr Andrew Excell, Executive Director, Transport Planning and Program Development, Department for Infrastructure and Transport; and Mr Neil Welsh, Project Manager, Transport Project Delivery, Department for Infrastructure and Transport. I thank the witnesses for their time.

Based upon the evidence considered, and pursuant to section 12 C of the Parliamentary Committees Act 1991, the Public Works Committee reports to parliament that it recommends the proposed public works.

Mr TARZIA (Hartley) (11:53): I also rise today to speak to the noting of the 18th report of the Public Works Committee, entitled Lefevre Peninsula Upgrade. As has been pointed out very eloquently, we know that the Lefevre Peninsula sits in the City of Port Adelaide Enfield, around 18  kilometres from the CBD. We also know that this area continues to be, and will continue to be for some time, a major hub for future ship and submarine building programs, specifically the Osborne Naval Shipyard. That is projected to create upwards of 5,000 new direct employees, as well as 3,000 to 4,000 jobs in related industries, by 2025 alone.

This much welcome increase in activity to Le Fevre Peninsula as a result of new jobs created is going to of course result in increased vehicle movements, ranging from, as the committee learned, from 13,000 to 25,000 per day by 2025. We know that Australian Naval Infrastructure is currently designing two car parks, with a total capacity of some 3,600 spaces for its growing workforce, with access via the peninsula's main vehicle routes—Victoria Road and Pelican Point Road.

We learnt that the Victoria Road and Veitch Road junction sees around 13,000 vehicles per day pass through, while the Victoria Road and Pelican Point Road junction sees around 8,000 vehicles pass through every day. It is a relatively high volume of traffic through that area. We also learned that between 2017 and, I think it was, 2021 there is a particular section of Victoria Road between Oliver Rogers Road and the Victoria Road junction at North Haven, and the Victoria Road/Indarra Street junction, where multiple crashes were reported—I think up to 51 crashes.

These upgrades are aimed at improving road safety, but also the overall network is needed for reliability. The upgrades will also help support local industries that feed off that volume, and that will also foster economic activity, which of course includes the anticipated demand of Australian Naval Infrastructure workers.

I also note the quite substantial contribution in expenditure from both the state and federal governments. This is certainly going to be nation-building infrastructure over the long term. Over 200 full-time jobs will be created through this. It is a very worthwhile project, and I commend the report to the house.

Mr BROWN (Florey) (11:56): I take the opportunity to thank the member for Hartley for his contribution to debate on this matter. I also take this opportunity to thank the Hon. Reggie Martin from another place for his contribution to my understanding of the traffic needs of that area, as he is a former resident of Victoria Road at Osborne. I commend the report to the house.

Motion carried.

PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS
MEMBERS
GET INVOLVED
ABOUT PARLIAMENT
VISIT
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
CONTACT