RAA Budget submission calls for $500m injection in five key road projects
FIVE key projects worth a total of $500 million must be funded in next week’s budget to help “unlock the state’s full economic potential’’, the RAA says.
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FIVE key road projects worth a total of $500 million must be funded in next week’s budget, the RAA says.
South Australia’s motoring body said the projects would improve safety and help “unlock the state’s full economic potential’’.
In the RAA’s pre-budget submission to the State Government, its Road Safety Senior Manager Charles Mountain said one of the benefits of better roads was a stronger economy.
The most ambitious bid for funding is for a $305 million 7km duplication of Main South Road from Seaford Heights to Aldinga Beach.
Mr Mountain said the association’s focus on priority infrastructure projects would have the crucial added benefit of reducing the state’s road toll.
“Newer roads make for safer roads and are a ‘must-have’ for the state,” he said.
“By ploughing money into upgrading key roads, like Horrocks Highway, we can cut road deaths and injuries; and the economic and emotional anguish these bring for South Australian families.”
The major infrastructure priorities identified in Adelaide and regional SA are:
* FUNDING the business cases for the stages of the north-south corridor between Darlington and the River Torrens ($20 million) and matching the $177 million allocated in the last Federal Budget to build the next stage of the corridor from Pym Street to Regency Rd;
* PROVIDING $40 million to support the Federal funding commitment to duplicate Port Augusta’s Joy Baluch Bridge;
* BUILDING an overpass ($30 million) at the intersection of Copper Coast and Augusta highways to ease traffic congestion. This has since been given the green light in an announcement this morning;
* CONTINUING the upgrading of the Horrocks Highway by building four overtaking lanes and widening the road ($100 million); and
* DUPLICATING Main South Road from Griffiths Drive to Aldinga Beach ($305 million).
To help fund other road spending, the RAA has repeated its call for the government to use red-light camera fine revenue for road maintenance, raising the annual spend from $136 million to $149 million.
The RAA also repeated calls to increase investment in road safety education. Its Street Smart primary school program is delivered to only around a third of SA primary schools.
“An annual commitment from the government of $400,000 would enable RAA to deliver Street Smart to every Primary School free of charge,’’ Mr Mountain said.
LUCAS OPENS UP BUDGET ACCESS
By Paul Starick
JOURNALISTS will be given unprecedented access to phones, tablets and wi-fi in Tuesday’s State Budget lockup — believed to be an Australian-first move by Treasurer Rob Lucas.
In relying on the honesty of South Australia’s media to adhere to a 3pm embargo on publishing, broadcasting or releasing any Budget information, Mr Lucas is jokingly threatening to tie up offenders in stocks in Victoria Square.
At other state, territory and federal budgets, phones are required to be handed in before entering the lockup and no external communication is allowed. This had been the case in SA until this year.
Mr Lucas said he would rely on the media’s honesty and issued a jocular threat of cruel and unusual punishment.
“Any member of the media who breaches the embargo will be tied up in stocks in Victoria Square and made to listen to endless recordings of the Budget speech, whilst being pelted with tomatoes by members of the public!” Mr Lucas said.