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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-09-12 Daily Xml
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Question Time

Hahndorf Truck Diversion

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley) (14:26): My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Minister, how much money is being spent on works to River Road before 1 November this year?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:27): I'm not surprised that this question has been asked by my young friend, who is very keen to try to make as much hay while the sun shines on this issue. It's fair to say that members opposite have been whipping up a fair bit of misinformation about the government's plans in Hahndorf. I think what I'll do is I'll just give a bit of context here on this answer, sir, because I know this is important to you as well.

The opposition have locals believing that our plan to remove large trucks from the main street of Hahndorf is somehow a bypass by stealth along River Road. This is incorrect. What we are doing, and we have been very clear about this, is stopping large trucks of 15 metres in length or more from using the main street of Hahndorf as a thoroughfare. These trucks will need to find—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: These trucks will have to use an alternative route. Yes, we expect many of them to use River Road, among others. River Road is a general access route today, with trucks of up to 19 metres weighing 42½ tonnes operating on it daily. A count done by the former Liberal government in 2019 estimated that there were 130—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: Order! There is a point of order from the member for Morialta.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Standing order 98: debate. The question was actually really specific about what was being spent on River Road in the next couple of months. The minister is going well beyond that, into the history and broader issues.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Mawson! There is some force in the member for Morialta's point of order. However, it has been the practice of Speakers to permit a degree of context where necessary—and, indeed, some compare and contrast—and it is early in the answer.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: While not all of those 130 trucks use the entire length of River Road because they are reaching destinations that are on River Road, the department estimates between 70 and 100 of them use the entire length of the road. I know that is disputed by the local member of parliament, but this is a safe route for trucks to use today, and the works that we are undertaking are there to make the road safe for the long term.

We have undertaken to allocate some money for the upkeep of works to ensure River Road and other alternative routes remain robust for the longer term and to give those who use it now the assurance—we want them to feel comfortable—to continue to do so. But, to be clear, we are talking about things like shoulder sealing, tree trimming and intersection widening. It is also critical for the public to understand that not all diverted trucks will be using River Road.

There are a variety of route options, and the trucking industry is adept at choosing the best route depending on the origin and destination of the freight. Of the 130 large trucks that will be removed from the main street of Hahndorf each day, 50 currently travel north to east while around 80 go south to west or north to south. Those trucks will use a variety of routes. They will use River Road, Strathalbyn Road, Flaxley Road, Junction Road plus other viable and legal combinations.

Various groups over recent days have expressed concerns about River Road, and these are being addressed, which gets to the nub of the question of my young friend. A truck driver interviewed in various media raised concerns about road shoulders, so we have committed to sealing shoulders along River Road. The department advises me that the planned shoulder sealing will be completed prior to the Hahndorf truck ban—which I understand now the opposition no longer supports—coming into effect on 1 November. Of course, these are all subject to approvals.

Some other local residents have indicated disquiet about speeding trucks. I can advise I have asked the department to undertake a speed assessment to determine if changes need to be made from the current 80 km/h. Time has expired; I will wait for my young friend's next question.

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