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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-11-28 Daily Xml
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Grievance Debate

Transport Funding

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley) (16:18): South Australia was dealt a savage infrastructure funding blow just recently. What we saw was the federal Labor government slash around $400 million in infrastructure investment here in South Australia. What we saw was that they have robbed country Peter to pay city Paul. What we saw is that Labor's cuts hurt, they hurt badly and they will hurt for many, many years to come here in South Australia.

Recently, what we saw was that the federal infrastructure review was actually code for infrastructure cuts, and that is exactly what we have seen. We have seen cuts all over South Australia. For example, look at where they should actually be spending the money. They should be fixing what is becoming a highway to hell at Truro, a highway that needs to be fixed because it is unsafe. You have another road situation in Hahndorf that is also unsafe—again, subject to these savage cuts. You have a crucial Mount Barker upgrade, which outrageously has been cut by this federal government, despite the repeated advocacy of people like yourself, sir. Of course, Old Belair Road remains old and outdated in parts as well. Five key South Australian projects were cut by this Labor federal and state government, totalling $400 million in federal funding.

In regard to Hahndorf, we know that in 2019 the government consulted with the local community and identified several different key issues that needed addressing. There was $250 million put on the table in relation to those improvements and associated works. We know that diverting trucks down River Road has created a dangerous situation for the residents of River Road. In recent times, I have been to Hahndorf with the member for Heysen and the Leader of the Opposition, and we all know and empathise with these residents whom we have come to know and the situation that they are going through at the moment.

Something is not adding up. Hahndorf has been let down once again by this government. Not that long ago, in this house we were actually told that no trees would be cut down, but then we learnt that over 20 trees had in fact been cut down. You also have the Truro freight route. Well, what can I say? If there is no Truro freight route then there is no Greater Adelaide Freight Bypass. How can you have a Greater Adelaide Freight Bypass when one of the most crucial legs of that does not happen? No upgraded Truro freight route means no Greater Adelaide freight route as well, and that means that there are going to be more trucks on Portrush Road, more trucks on Glen Osmond Road and more trucks on Cross Road.

The $202 million Truro freight route has had 80 per cent of its funding cut—$161.6 million to be precise. Ultimately, this has cancelled this infrastructure project. We know that several thousand vehicles per day travel through Truro, and many of these are heavy vehicles at the moment. Then you also have planned upgrades of Main South Road between Myponga and Cape Jervis, which are meant to make that route one of Australia's most loved tourist destinations safer, not to necessarily keep it the way it was. With projects being cancelled, more of this infrastructure is going to continue to deteriorate. It is time for this state Labor government to stand up for South Australia.

In recent times, we have seen what other state premiers have had to say. What happened in Queensland? We saw that Ms Palaszczuk has called out federal infrastructure minister, Catherine King, for showing no appreciation for Queensland's infrastructure challenges as the state struggles with an influx of migration. What we have seen is that the Labor lion has again been kept out of the limelight. Why will this Premier not allow the Labor lion here, the member for West Torrens, to encourage the federal minister for infrastructure to actually commit—

An honourable member: More a tiger.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: Yes, exactly right. We need a more committed tiger to actually commit to some of this funding for these key projects. What we see here today is that what we have assumed the whole time has been proven—that is, this infrastructure review is nothing but a code for infrastructure cuts.

An amount of $400 million has been stripped. As I said, the federal government has robbed country Peter to pay city Paul. It is simply not good enough and I cannot reiterate enough that if there is no Truro freight route then there is no Greater Adelaide Freight Bypass either. That is simply not good enough and residents in the city are going to suffer for many, many years to come.

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