Axed interchange upgrades at Mount Barker and Verdun get green light on federal funding

The axed interchange upgrades at Mount Barker and Verdun will go ahead after funding was reinstated. See the infrastructure budget winners in SA.

Funding for upgrades to the Mount Barker and Verdun interchanges was confirmed in the budget. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

Desperately-needed interchange upgrades at Mount Barker and Verdun – controversially axed last year – will go ahead after funding was reinstated in the federal budget.

The budget included $120m to upgrade the two interchanges, and $100m for the South Eastern Freeway Upgrade.

South Australia received only a small share of new infrastructure funding outlined in the budget papers, but has retained $9.7bn over the next 10 years, largely to fund the federal government’s half of the $15.4bn Torrens to Darlington project.

The Hills interchange upgrades and other works had initially been funded in 2020 as part of the $250m Hahndorf Township Improvement program, which was to be funded 80:20 under a deal between the federal and state governments.

The Adelaide Road/Mount Barker interchange. Picture: Google Maps

However, the package was among five major South Australian road projects scrapped last year following a 90-day review of the Infrastructure Investment Program.

On Tuesday night, Mayo MP Rebekha Sharkie welcomed the reinstatement of funding.

“We do not know what the specific project details look like just yet, but this funding is appreciated and very deserved,” she said.

Kavel MP Dan Cregan, a fellow independent representing the Hills, added the announcement was “a welcome change of heart”.

“Ms Sharkie and I have been relentlessly hammering away on this issue since the funding was wrongly cut by the federal government,” he said.

The decision to cancel the funding had been met with fierce backlash, with the two MPs arguing the works were vital for the safety and economic viability of the area.

At the time the funding was cut, Mr Cregan said “the Hills has been let down”.

“This is a short sighted decision that robs the regions to fund cost blowouts with the North-South Corridor,” he said.

Mount Barker and Verdun interchanges have been given the green light on federal funding. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

In the lead-up to Tuesday’s budget, he and Ms Sharkie spearheaded calls for the funding to be reinstated.

Treasurer Stephen Mullighan also welcomed the federal budget allocation, which he said would support “meaningful road upgrades”.

Following last year’s announcement that the upgrades would be scrapped, Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis visited the Hills to see the traffic congestion first-hand.

He said the Mount Barker interchange upgrade had merit and was “ready to go”, and stressed the state government was not part of the decision to scrap funding.

The $400m saved by cutting the five road projects was to be directed to other projects in SA, the federal government said at the time.

That included an extra $2.72bn that was required in federal funding for the final Torrens to Darlington section of the North-South corridor, after the cost blew out by more than $5bn.

In addition to the two interchange upgrades, the budget funded $133.6m for projects in South Australia already flagged in the Infrastructure Investment Program.

That figure includes $100m for the existing South Eastern Freeway Upgrade.

$400m local roads injection

More than $400m will be injected into the SA’s local roads which will see further improvements to increase road safety.

It was announced on Tuesday evening that a total of $360.8m will be injected into the state’s Roads to Recovery program as part of a five-year cycle.

The state government will choose which projects they spend funding on, and which take priority.

A further $76.6m in funding toward the Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program was announced, which will allow the local government to address “current and emerging priorities”.

$100m into major freight line

The state’s portion of the Australian Rail Track Corporation’s interstate freight trail network will see upgrades as part of this year’s federal budget.

A total of $100m will be dedicated to upgrade the freight line between Kalgoorlie in Western Australia and Tarcoola in South Australia.

The upgrades will continue through to Victoria with a total of $150m dedicated to the Maroona to Portland Line.

This comes as the budget also promises to inject $42.3m into the rail investment component of South Australia’s Infrastructure Investment Program.

SA’s black spots get $50m

The government has announced almost $50m in funding toward South Australia’s black spots which have caused serious crashes or have the potential to.

The federal budget details a total of $49.4m will be provided to the state, over forward estimates, to fund safety works.

A total of $9.2m is expected to be injected this coming financial year with $9.9m injected the following two years and $11.1 in 2027.

This comes as the state recorded a significant increase in fatal crashes last year with more than 100 lives lost on our roads.

$123.3m for CBD projects

The government will provide just over $120m to support projects in Adelaide’s CBD and surrounding areas.

It was announced in last night’s federal budget that a total of $123.3m will be injected into the Adelaide City Deal by the end of the 2025-26 financial year.

A total of $96.2m will be injected into the project in this upcoming financial year, with $14.1m dedicated to it this financial year.

The funding will help support projects throughout the city, and the surrounding region, as well as with the development of a “new innovation and cultural precinct”.