SA election 2018: Liberals promise Paradise Park ‘n’ Ride if they win office

THE Liberal Party has fired the first salvo as it seeks to prevent Nick Xenophon returning to State Parliament, pledging $7.5 million to build a Park ‘n’ Ride facility at Paradise.

• Paradise lost as Government scraps Park ‘n’ Ride
• Galaxy poll puts Xenophon in front
• Daniel Wills: From friend to foe as major parties flee from Mr X

THE Liberal Party has fired the first salvo as it seeks to prevent Nick Xenophon returning to State Parliament, pledging $7.5 million to build a Park ‘n’ Ride facility at Paradise if it wins the state election.

Opposition Leader Steven Marshall said the Park ‘n’ Ride was “desperately needed” and the commitment was the result of Hartley MP Vincent Tarzia’s “concerted campaign” for the project.

Mr Tarzia faces an uphill battle to retain Hartley at March’s election, in a tussle against SA Best leader Nick Xenophon and former Labor education minister Grace Portolesi.

A new carpark at the Paradise interchange was promised by Labor in the lead-up to the 2014 election, but abandoned after its carpark tax was defeated in the Upper House.

Mr Marshall said the proposed facility would provide more than 300 new parking spaces for users of the O-Bahn tunnel, easing the “parking and congestion problems” facing local residents.

“If elected, a Liberal gov­ernment will deliver this important project for public transport users in the northeastern suburbs who have been waiting for years for better parking infrastructure at Paradise,” he said.

POLITICAL DRIVE: An artist’s impression of the Liberals’ plan for a $7.5 million a Park ‘n’ Ride facility at Paradise.

An Advertiser-Galaxy poll in October — before Ms Portolesi declared her candidacy — found Mr Xenophon was leading 53-47 on a two-candidate basis against Mr Tarzia.

The seat is crucial to Liberal election hopes and was considered safe until Mr Xenophon quit federal politics to contest Hartley.

Mr Tarzia said the new car park was “well overdue” and would encourage people to use the $160 million O-Bahn.

“Many commuters will no longer be forced to park on the busy Darley Rd, which will be a great safety outcome and unclog a main road,” he said.

He said he would “continue to fight for better infrastructure to get to work, to school and to our fantastic local shops”.

Cartoonist Jos Valdman’s take.

The Government promptly dumped the Paradise Park ‘n’ Ride after its $120 million carpark tax was defeated in 2014, with Infrastructure Minister Stephen Mullighan saying it was the “first victim of what looks to be a terrible decision by Vincent Tarzia and Steven Marshall”.

A stunning Newspoll released in December found Mr Xenophon’s SA Best was more popular than either the Labor or Liberal parties. It showed 32 per cent of SA voters surveyed intended to vote for SA Best at the March 17 state election, ahead of the Liberals (29 per cent) and Labor (27 per cent).

TELL US BELOW: What project in your area needs funding?