Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Despite the government standing up last night and bragging about infrastructure spending that we may never see, I was very disappointed after I went through the budget papers to see that not a single cent of new road or rail projects were budgeted for my seat of Kingston, in the southern suburbs of Adelaide. I have raised with the minister on many occasions a number of very, very important road projects in my electorate that deserve funding, but it appears, once again in this budget, that it has fallen on deaf ears. Of course one of the roads that I have raised in this place many times that needs an urgent upgrade is Majors Road.

Majors Road is a busy thoroughfare and is only set to become more congested with the planned upgrade of Glenthorne Farm and the adjoining soccer and BMX complexes. On top of the congestion on Majors Road, it is riddled with uneven surfaces, potholes, creating hazards for commuters. There is also a missed opportunity along Majors Road of not having an entry and exit onto the Southern Expressway, which could ensure that the residents of Sheidow Park, Trott Park, Hallett Cove, Flagstaff Hill and Aberfoyle Park could access the Southern Expressway, an important route into the city. This oversite means that many in our community travelling into the CBD miss out on the benefits.

I have been calling on the federal government to fix Majors Road, including on and off ramps to the Southern Expressway, but we have seen nothing in this budget. Ian from Hallett Cove told me that he is worried that there will be a car accident, because of the unsafe driving conditions along Majors Road. Darryl from Hallett Cove said: 'I drive down Majors Road quite a lot. It has always been a bumpy road, and it is really dangerous. The road is only going to get busier with the national park opening up. I think that something should be done to improve it.' Darryl also told me that he would like to see an on-ramp and an off-ramp so that people in the southern suburbs can get onto the Southern Expressway. This belief is shared by many.

The duplication of Commercial Road, including the duplication of the Saltfleet Street Bridge, is another example of a project that has been overlooked. Seaford is a fast-growing area in my electorate and home to many young families. The neighbouring suburb of Port Noarlunga is a busy tourist destination. Commercial Road is a main arterial road, and it needs to be duplicated.

In addition, the extension of Doctors Road, which has not only been called for by residents but also by the local CFS station to ensure access can be made along this road, is critically important. These are just some of the road projects that electors in my electorate need but that have been neglected by this government.