Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, it was pleasing to hear yesterday that Mayo roads were in the budget; however, I am concerned about the time frames, particularly for Victor Harbor Road. Sadly, Mayo roads are over-represented in major crashes and fatalities. We are heartbroken when we lose another member of our community, and, sadly, we lose far too many on our regional roads, so I do welcome the government's commitment for $550 million for the Black Spot Program for roads. This is essential money, but the question is whether it is enough funding. But certainly it is essential money, and I will be strongly advocating for a good percentage of those funds to be going into Mayo and, indeed, into South Australia.

With regard to the Main South Road to Victor Harbor Road upgrade at McLaren Vale, while it is pleasing to see that in the budget there is $73 million put to one side, I am concerned about where that funding sits within the forward estimates. Any local in Mayo knows that that's actually not the area of the road that we need the funding for. We need the funding to go all the way down to Victor Harbor. We need the duplication of Victor Harbor Road. The challenges for us start between Mount Compass and Victor Harbor. Very few locals talk to me about the challenges between McLaren Vale and the Main South Road intersection—it's more the other end of Victor Harbor. So I will be continuing my fight for as long as I'm in this place to make sure that we get funding for the duplication of Victor Harbor Road. Some overtaking lanes in the first instance would be a very good start. The RAA say this needs to be done, that a $600 million investment is needed, and I will continue to fight for that.

I am pleased to see supplementary road funding continuing for South Australia. This helps our regional councils. This recognises that South Australia has 11 per cent of the nation's local roads, but receives less than five per cent of the funding. This is the continuation of the supplementary road funding, and this is what NXT, now Centre Alliance, negotiated for in very difficult circumstances, very challenging circumstances, with the government a couple of years ago. This funding was due to run out this June. My councils were so concerned about how they were going to fund their roads, so I'm very pleased to see that that $40 million is there and will continue to be funded for another two years.

South Australia's road network is in a state of disrepair across much of South Australia, and so we will be looking to the next federal government—no matter who is in government—and I will be saying to them: 'You need to make sure that you invest properly in South Australia's roads. Our lives depend on it.'