SA’s Property Council urges State Government to defer tunnels for ‘social infrastructure’
Building “social infrastructure” will send South Australia’s dollars further than a North-South tunnel project, say property developers who want the plan ditched.
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Bold plans for the North-South corridor should be ditched in favour of “social infrastructure” that will provide a bigger bang for buck, the Property Council says.
The State Government has all but ruled out a single tunnel for the final stage of the North-South Corridor - South Australia’s largest ever road infrastructure project.
But with industry estimates of about $11 billion for any tunnel option the state’s powerful Property Council believe the project should be simplified with funds redirected to better job creating projects.
Property Council SA executive director Daniel Gannon told The Advertiser transport infrastructure creates fewer than four jobs per $1 million invested.
Social infrastructure creates 12 jobs per $1 million invested, he said.
“Let’s walk away from COVID-19 and proudly point to an infrastructure legacy that will drive economic development for generations to come,” Mr Gannon said
“When we talk about social infrastructure, we mean precinct infrastructure like the Riverbank, sporting and leisure precincts like the previously proposed Arena Plus, health and educational facilities like ‘SAHMRI 2’ and the Aboriginal Culture Centre.
“At a time when we need to create jobs and drive the economy through an unprecedented economic period, the government should consider deferring non-essential civil works and embrace social infrastructure instead.
“In doing so, the Government will create three times as many jobs.”
Mr Gannon said improvements could be made along the busy section of the road, including the removal of many traffic lights, but the savings from not doing tunnels at this stage could be better redirected.
Infrastructure Minister Stephan Knoll said the project is one of the most important in the state but has conceded a single tunnel is not practical.
This means a hybrid option that includes two tunnels and traffic returning to the surface between Anzac Highway and Edward St in Melrose Park or a tunnel-free design, which would be similar to the Torrens to Torrens build, as the options.
“We’ve put tunnels back on the agenda after Labor put them in the too hard basket and that commitment remains the case,” he said.
“Our early indication is the long single tunnel isn’t going to deliver the best outcome for motorists and taxpayers however the hybrid tunnel option is front and centre in our consideration, as well as Labor’s option of no tunnels.”
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The South Road Inner West Action Group, set up to lobby for a tunnel, yesterday urged the State Government not to turn its back on the single tunnel option.
“ We say this precinct is worth saving, and a tunnel is the only way to do that,” Group co-convener James Franzon said.
“It is not good enough to say that Adelaide cannot have the best technology, that we must have visual blight and the destruction of heritage.
“We reject the idea that Adelaide is a backwater, unable to have both good transport infrastructure and a good way of life.”