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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-08-27 Daily Xml
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MacKillop Electorate, Roads

Mr McBRIDE (MacKillop) (15:35): I am very honoured as I rise today to highlight and seek action on one of the most common complaints to my electoral office, and that is the poor conditions of roads in my vast electorate of MacKillop. As you know, MacKillop covers more than 34,000 square kilometres. As the local member, I drive up to 80,000 kilometres a year and I can honestly say I know the ups and downs, the broken edges and the potholes because I have travelled them, felt them and hit them. Specifically, I want to bring to light again the dire state of the Southern Ports Highway as well as the Frances Road and the Bordertown to Naracoorte road. These roads are vital arteries for our region and their current conditions are a matter of concern for everyone who travels them.

First, let's consider the Southern Ports Highway. In a recent survey from my office, nearly 20 per cent of respondents named the Southern Ports as the road that needed the most attention. This road is a crucial link connecting our community to economic opportunities and essential services and it has fallen into disrepair. Potholes and uneven services have become commonplace, making travel hazardous and uncomfortable.

I know the department has spent around $2 million on resurfacing around eight kilometres of this road between Beachport and Millicent. I know the quality of these works has not been up to standard. These issues are not just minor inconvenience: they pose serious risk to safety and contribute to wear and tear of vehicles, increasing maintenance costs for local families and businesses.

Moving on to Frances Road, where the situation is equally troubling, the road's deteriorating condition impacts local farmers and transporters who rely on it for moving goods and supplies. The compromised infrastructure not only hampers efficiency but also threatens the economic viability of those who depend on this road to sustain their livelihoods.

The Bordertown to Naracoorte Road, a key route for regional travel and commerce, is also in need of urgent attention. Potholes and crumbling surfaces are more than just blemishes on the landscape: they are obstacles to progress. The safety of our residents and the efficiency of our transport network are at stake here, and we must address these issues with urgency and commitment.

The problems with these roads are not just about inconvenience; they are about safety, economic stability and quality of life. Poor road conditions lead to higher accident rates, increased vehicle maintenance costs, and inefficiencies in transport and logistics. For business, this means higher operational costs and potential delays. For families, it means a greater risk every time they get behind the wheel.

To address these pressing concerns, we need more than just temporary fixes. We need a comprehensive and sustained approach to road maintenance and improvement. We, unfortunately, now need a huge spend. We know that the previous Liberal government privatised the road maintenance contracts, and we know this has been a disaster for the road network in the Limestone Coast. We cannot just blame the Liberals as there were many years of Labor governance prior to the Liberal team.

I asked the Minister for Transport about these contracts in this place back in June. Following that, I wrote to the minister but I am yet to hear back. I know the minister is also frustrated by this and only last week said on radio that he is looking at cancelling the contract, given its poor performance. I will continue to advocate for the necessary resources and attention our roads desperately need. I will continue to ask for more money in budget allocations and infrastructure priorities. I will continue to engage with the department to see how we can do the maintenance better, and I am sure there are other options, such as reinstalling local highways departments.

Investing in our roads is an investment in our community's future. It supports our local economy, enhances safety, and improves overall quality of life for everyone. We cannot afford to let these vital links in our transportation network continue to deteriorate. We need action.

I would like to finish with the little bit of time that I have left by saying that I heard a story about a couple of local identities Bernie Vince and Andrew Jarman from FIVEaa who made their way down to Frances for a local event. They tried to get some sleep in on the way from Adelaide and when they hit the Bordertown to Frances road they reckon they nearly had concussion from hitting their heads on the roof. That might have helped their speeches and might have helped their temperament, but they did not get the sleep they were looking for!

One of the key things I have not mentioned in my speech is that a lot of my roads are used by school buses. These roads are becoming very uneven, they are very wavy and they are throwing vehicles around. We know that trucks probably cannot even maintain their speed limits on some of these roads. The most valuable vehicles that are using our roads are the school buses with our children on them, and I hope that the safety remains at a level that does not increase the risk of a major accident with a school bus and heavy transport. I really am hoping that this government, with its advocacy for regions, and hopefully the way it looks after MacKillop, can address these issues.

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