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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-11-19 Daily Xml
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Victor Harbor Road

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (14:46): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the minister representing the Minister for Road Safety questions regarding the announcement of upgrades to the Victor Harbor Road.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE: The Victor Harbor Road is, sadly, notorious for dangerous driving, accidents and fatalities. Tragically, the Victor Harbor Road again claimed another life in a fatal accident between a van and a truck at Mount Jagged on Monday. This was the third fatality since 2012 on this particular road, a road that I know like the back of my hand. In January of this year, a 26-year-old man died in a head-on crash near Mount Compass and in December 2012, a 19 year old died just within a couple of kilometres further north of that particular incident.

In a government press release yesterday, it was indicated that between 2009 and 2013 there have been 40 crashes resulting in four deaths and 57 serious injuries on the Victor Harbor Road. With this year's two deaths, we know that there have been at least six deaths on this stretch of road in a five-year period. Whilst the state government has, I admit, made some improvement on the Mount Compass road, most recently point-to-point speed cameras (the start of the installation there), there is, in my opinion and that of constituents right through the Fleurieu Peninsula, an urgent need for an improvement on roadworks.

The government has announced $1.95 million to be spent on audio-tactile line marking for Willunga Hill and $3.75 million to construct a roundabout at the junctions of Victor Harbor Road, Waterport to Port Elliott road and Welch Road. These improvements will be funded by MAC's Road Safety Fund. The RAA welcomed these improvements but Mr Charles Mountain, the Road Safety Manager of the RAA, noted yesterday on 5AA that 'a lot of locations are certainly in need of attention'. We concur with the RAA.

Family First supports improvements to our regional roads. We can't help noting that the most recent fatalities on the Victor Harbor Road have not occurred in those two areas that are set for improvements. My questions therefore to the minister are:

1. What is the total amount of state government money that has been spent on the Victor Harbor Road upgrades in the last five years?

2. How is the effectiveness of these initiatives measured in terms of successful road safety improvements and subsequent reduction in accidents and fatalities?

3. Given the number of accidents on this road which occur in different locations, how does the government prioritise the areas that need urgent upgrade?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (14:49): I will refer those questions to the Minister for Road Safety in another place on behalf of the Hon. Robert Brokenshire and bring back a response.

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