House debates

Tuesday, 30 November 2021

Statements by Members

Sturt Electorate: Energy

1:50 pm

Photo of James StevensJames Stevens (Sturt, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I thought she'd be able to get a full 90 seconds out, but not quite. I rise to welcome the progress and work from SA Power Networks along Lower North East Road in my electorate, where they are undergrounding a section of powerlines from Gorge Road down along Lower North East Road across the front of the Campbelltown shopping centre. This is an excellent project because one of the unfortunate things about my beautiful city is that, when they installed the electricity network, we didn't have good, reliable trees, so all of our powerlines are held up by these rather ugly cement slabs with two railway tracks along each side. That's how we strung the electricity network in Adelaide.

Wherever we can, whenever we can, it's good to invest in burying the powerlines, putting them underground and creating an excellent outcome for the streetscape. This presents an opportunity for us to deliver the vision of the Campbelltown City Council: the Campbelltown Urban Village. After we underground the powerlines, there will be an opportunity to undertake further streetscaping and beautification of that area. It will be a great outcome for residents. I'm an enormous supporter of that project. There's more work to be done on it, but it's an excellent start as we see SA Power Networks undertake this project. Over the next 12 months we'll get rid of around 1,000 metres of overhead powerlines so we can get on with that project and deliver it locally.