Adelaide tram extension not in Premier Steven Marshall’s plans

PREMIER Steven Marshall has been caught unaware by secret Federal Government plans to provide $185 million for an Adelaide tram extension.

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PREMIER Steven Marshall has been caught unaware by secret Federal Government plans for a $185 million Adelaide tram extension.

Mr Marshall said he had “seen no information” from the Federal Government about plans to fund a new tram – and he had not committed money to it in Tuesday’s State Budget.

A leak shows former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull personally signed off on the funding for a tram extension, as well as $1.2 billion of funding to complete a stretch of the South Rd expressway from the River Torrens to the tram overpass at Black Forest.

An artist’s impression of the scrapped plan to extend Adelaide’s tram network down The Parade, Norwood.

“There has been no approach,” Mr Marshall said.

“If there is more money available from the Federal Government then we will be putting that money towards our priorities, in particular more productive infrastructure to get this state moving in the right direction.”

The Liberal Party scrapped the former Labor government’s AdeLINK plan, which would have delivered services to Norwood, Unley, Prospect and the Adelaide Airport.

It instead committed to send four city loop options and a North Adelaide extension to Infrastructure South Australia for assessment.

Infrastructure Australia acting CEO Anna Chau said AdeLINK was listed on this year’s Infrastructure Priority List in recognition of the “nationally-significant opportunity” to expand the urban network and encourage more people to use public transport.

Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas said Mr Marshall must “backflip” on the decision to abandon tram extensions.

Federal Infrastructure Minister Michael McCormack would not comment on infrastructure projects that “may or may not be under assessment”.

Boothby’s Liberal MP, Nicolle Flint, said completion of the corridor was “vital for her local residents”.

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Originally published as Adelaide tram extension not in Premier Steven Marshall’s plans