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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-11-16 Daily Xml
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Question Time

Truro Bypass Project

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (14:20): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Regional Development about regional development.

Leave granted.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Yesterday, in question time, the minister twice said that she was waiting for completion of the 90-day review from the federal infrastructure minister before giving a response to that review. On Tuesday, in an interview at the AFR Infrastructure Summit, the federal infrastructure minister said that the review was taking some time due to negotiations with other states and territories.

That review was handed down this morning after more than 170 days and it shows, amongst others, the planned Truro freight route's federal funding has been cut. This morning, on radio, the state's Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, the Hon. Tom Koutsantonis, said that the Malinauskas government would not be funding the shortfall and has confirmed it will not go ahead. This ends the planned and much-needed freight route around Truro. My questions to the minister are:

1. As the Minister for Regional Development did she formally write to the federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government in support of this project?

2. What does she say to regional South Australians who were counting on this freight route to improve productivity for regional industry?

3. Given the already shocking road toll this year what is her government going to do to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the Truro community—and the regional community more broadly—who will now continue to see tens of thousands of heavy vehicles down their main street every year?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:22): I thank the honourable member for her question. Certainly, in terms of the federal infrastructure review, I think it's a very mixed result for South Australia. The commonwealth government's independent review found that the overall infrastructure investment program inherited from the former Coalition commonwealth government was undeliverable. A program—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: This is the commonwealth government's independent review: that was the finding made. A program of works put forward by the former Liberal and Coalition governments was designed, apparently, to meet electoral imperatives rather than properly planned infrastructure—rather than properly planned infrastructure. I think it is absolutely fair to say—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Listen in silence.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: We are obviously pleased that the additional commonwealth government contribution to the River Torrens to Darlington has been confirmed, recognising it as the most significant infrastructure project in the state's history. I might point out that a lot of these works will improve freight, so to say that it is simply a city project I think is misunderstanding the nature of our freight routes in South Australia.

It is, of course, extremely disappointing to see projects into which the state government has put significant design and consultation work cancelled. The state government had money on the table for these projects and spent a lot of time and effort getting them shovel ready, but as the commonwealth government was the major partner in these projects—a significant funding partner—obviously projects cannot proceed without that commonwealth funding.

My question might be to those opposite: are they going to commit that if they win government at the next election they will fully commit to funding from state government funds the additional money for the Truro bypass? That is a very relevant question that the people of South Australia might like to hear the answer to. Will they commit to fully funding the difference in the Truro bypass from state government funds? If they are not willing to say that then they shouldn't—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: Well, then make the commitment for if you win the next election. If you want to make the commitment if you win the next election.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: If you don't then you are revealing exactly what you are really doing, which is making a song and dance about something you have no intention of fixing.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The honourable Leader of the Opposition, do you want a supplementary question?

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Thank you, Mr President, supplementary.

The PRESIDENT: Right, well ask your supplementary question.

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