Infrastructure boss calls for poll on building toll roads in SA
Road tolls aren’t as unpopular as politicians think according to SA infrastructure bosses who says it’s time for the government to consider road deals with private corporations. TAKE OUR POLL
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Toll roads may not be as unpopular as politicians make out, the state’s civil construction sector boss says.
The State Government is being urged to poll South Australians to discover their true views on the issue.
An inaugural 20-year strategy by Infrastructure SA has suggested public/private enterprises should be given greater consideration for infrastructure projects.
Infrastructure SA boss Jeremy Conway said road tolls could be considered.
“The government has been pretty clear that they don’t want to do toll roads, but our work with the freight industry has suggested they would be willing to have some sort of user-charge model,” he said.
Civil Construction Federation chief Phil Sutherland called on the State Government to conduct a poll to see what South Australians really thought about tolls.
“Politicians seem to think the idea is politically unacceptable but we are unclear on what this position is based on,” Mr Sutherland said.
“South Australia would have seen more Commonwealth money for roads if the state was able to make a greater financial contribution.”
South Australian Freight Council executive officer Evan Knapp said his sector was “not philosophically opposed” to road tolls if the productivity benefits outweighed the costs.
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Opposition Infrastructure spokesman Tom Koutsantonis seized on Mr Conway’s comments earlier this week.
But Infrastructure Minister Stephan Knoll said: “We have ruled out toll roads in South Australia since before the election and we won’t be introducing toll roads in SA.”