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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-08-31 Daily Xml
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Hahndorf Bypass

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley) (14:23): My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Can the minister advise what feedback he has received from local Hills residents along Strathalbyn and River roads, and was any consultation undertaken with them?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:23): I think my young friend in his incomplete question forgot to mention the reason why we were consulting on Strathalbyn Road-River Road. It's because the state government is deciding to ban heavy vehicles from the main strip of Hahndorf.

Mr Pederick: Some of them.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: No, heavy vehicles from—

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Members on both my left and my right! Minister for Police!

The Hon. V.A. Tarzia: Chuck him out, sir.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I think there would be a few on my left going out first.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The state government has been grappling with issues in Hahndorf. One of those issues is that one of the instigations for a $250 million Hahndorf township bypass program that was announced by the previous government but not implemented is the fact that Echunga Road funnels a lot of heavy vehicles into the main street of Hahndorf.

Anyone who has been to the main street of Hahndorf will see how narrow that road is. A lot of the complaints from local residents have been that the heavy vehicles, especially those with the logs and the livestock, that use that main street are clogging up what is one of the most pristine tourism destinations anywhere in South Australia or the Adelaide Hills.

The Adelaide Hills being a tourist destination is not new to this parliament. The government made a decision on the Bird in Hand Terramin mine application in order to attempt to protect the amenity of the tourism offerings and the wine offerings of those areas—opposed by members opposite. That decision was opposed. Now we are attempting to maintain a balance between preserving pristine farmland, which is the Beerenberg—

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: Point of order: standing order 98. The minister is debating the question badly. The question was very specific and it was about Hills residents along Strathalbyn and River roads. This is just debate.

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! My reading of what the minister was saying was that he was providing background and context to the answer.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: A wise adjudication, sir, very wise.

Mr Telfer interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Flinders, you are warned for the first time.

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: It should be the second time, yes, I know.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: We are attempting to do this because the trucks that are entering through Echunga Road into the main street of Hahndorf to either get to the highway or to go to other destinations are causing a great deal of congestion. Local businesses want those trucks out. Local residents want those trucks out. Hahndorf is being used as a thoroughfare to get onto the highway and get off the highway into Echunga and other destinations in both directions.

The decision made by the previous government to build the interchange through Paechtown and the Beerenberg facility would have caused a lot of compulsory acquisitions and carving up of what I think is pristine farmland. We decided against that plan. What we have come up with in the interim is to move that heavy traffic, which already uses River Road and Strathalbyn Road and is already authorised to use those roads. Without any compulsory acquisitions, we can use those roads as a bypass for heavy vehicles and get them off the Hahndorf main street.

I know this does not have the support of the local member of parliament. I know that the local member of parliament would prefer carving up Paechtown and the Beerenberg land to put the bypass in, as articulated by the spokesperson for the Adelaide Hills, the shadow minister for regional roads, who has said quite clearly that he opposed the decision on banning the mine at Terramin and opposed the decision on not carving up Paechtown and Beerenberg. It is clear, on the record, that that is the position of members opposite.

What we have done is simply ban these trucks from entering Hahndorf. They will be using Strathalbyn Road and River Road as access points to either the freeway or, of course, to other parts of the Adelaide Hills. Logs and livestock do not belong on the main street of Hahndorf. This is what we are attempting to do. We are trying to do this to make sure we get a good outcome for the people of the Adelaide Hills. I'm not sure why members opposite don't support it.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Supplementary?

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: Another question, sir.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I will give you another question.

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