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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-10-29 Daily Xml
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Cross Road Stop Bar

The Hon. B.R. HOOD (14:49): My questions are to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport on the Cross Road stop bar relocation. Can the minister advise the council how much money has been expended by the department on this now-shelved project? Will the government now consider funding a third arrester bed on the down track of the South Eastern Freeway to ensure the safety of motorists?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Autism) (14:49): I thank the honourable member for his question. The state government remains committed to improving safety on the South Eastern Freeway down track to minimise the risk of heavy vehicle crashes. The issue of out-of-control heavy vehicles is complex and there is no single solution that will prevent all incidents from happening on all occasions.

By improving signage and pavement marking, we are working to make it clearer and to help raise awareness of the steep descent and actions that drivers can take if they get into difficulties. We have reiterated that there is no fee to remove vehicles from the arrester beds. We have completed the $150 million Heysen Tunnel safety upgrades. In relation to the round table that was mentioned particularly this morning by Steve Shearer, who was one of the people who helped bring industry and government together at this round table, I am advised that the government has actioned all small to medium recommendations from that round table.

I am further advised that detailed traffic investigations and modelling to the impacted area show that removing that stoppage could have actually had an increased risk. We heard Steve Shearer himself say on radio this morning that it seemed like a good concept at the beginning. He himself thought it was going to be the winning solution until modelling was done. I think he highlighted that DIT do modelling well, that when you do your homework and you find out maybe it is not the best plan it could result in greater risk for the community. That is why it was important, I guess, as a round table and as the industry and government coming together, to have that conversation.