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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-05-25 Daily Xml
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Question Time

George's Corner

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:21): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Road Safety a question about the intersection of Nelshaby Road and the Augusta Highway.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: I am sure the minister is aware of the tragic accident that occurred this week at the Augusta Highway and Nelshaby Road intersection. Unfortunately, this latest accident is the most recent in a long history of fatalities and injuries which have occurred at this intersection. The RAA has the Augusta Highway on its priority list. The highway carries up to 10,000 vehicles per day and it has been reported that there is an average of 29 crashes per year which result in death or injury.

The Port Pirie and surrounding communities have been calling on state government assistance for over a decade to make this intersection safer. It has been confirmed by the federal member for Grey, Mr Rowan Ramsey, that neither minister Brock nor the state government has ever put this intersection forward for funding under the federal Black Spot Program. My questions are:

1. Why has the state government not suggested or prioritised this intersection for funding under the federal Black Spot Program?

2. Will the minister give an assurance to the house today that this intersection will be finally recommended by the state government for black spot funding?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (14:22): I thank the honourable member for his question. I have some information that I am in the position to be able to share with the house and particularly with the honourable member regarding the question. On 23 May, only a few days ago, at approximately 8.55pm, a fatal crash did tragically occur at the intersection that the honourable member refers to, which is commonly referred to as George's Corner. A sedan travelling east on the Spencer Highway intended to make a right turn onto the Augusta Highway to return to the Rangeview Caravan and Cabin Park at about 70 metres south of the collision site. There is a range of details that I am able to share with the honourable member regarding the accident, if he is particularly interested, which I do not intend to go into now as I would rather get to the point of his question.

This is a government that has been absolutely committed to investing in road safety. Many members of the public would be aware that, over the past few years, the MAC road safety fund, which is an amount of approximately $3.5 million, has been spent on improving the Augusta Highway including improving the intersections and access to the service station in Snowtown, improving the access points at the Mambray Creek rest area, and hazard protection and removal of works at critical locations.

An important point for the honourable member to be aware of is that the location of George's Corner was not identified as a priority for works when assessing safety improvements on the Augusta Highway as part of the safety review of the highway. It is worthy of note that when it comes to statistics regarding the intersection to which the honourable member refers in his question, I am advised that since 2006 there has only been one fatality on that road. I am advised there have only been two serious injuries since 2006 and one minor injury, with a total number of crashes since 2006 of five. Of course, one fatality is one too many. But the suggestion from the honourable member that somehow there has been a litany of fatalities at this intersection in recent times, as I understand it, is not a reflection of the facts.

There are a few other points that I am keen to make, but none more important than the fact that DPTI, as I am advised, will indeed be installing a right-turn lane from the Augusta Highway into Nelshaby Road at the location in 2016-17, which we expect to be in October-November this year, subject to weather, when this section of the Augusta Highway will be resealed. So yes, this is an area that is of attention. There has been a number of looks into this site which have resulted necessarily in the upgrade that I have just referred to, but the suggestion from the honourable member that this has been a site, as I said, that has been subject to numerous serious injuries or fatalities in recent times isn't reflected in the facts that I have been advised of.

Nevertheless, the government is looking at this site. The recent accident is, of course, a tragedy. I am sure all members of the house would be concerned by it, but this government remains committed to making sure that we go about prioritising road safety investments which are substantial in a methodical way that is based on evidence to ensure that we are getting the best bang for our buck as taxpayers when it comes to road safety.

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