COMPLETING NORTH-SOUTH CORRIDOR

Transcription

1 COMPLETING NORTH-SOUTH CORRIDOR A STRONG PLAN FOR REAL CHANGE 1

2 We re ready. Over the last four years, we ve been working hard developing our vision for the future of South Australia. Not just policies, but a series of achievable milestones that have been crafted for the long-term benefit of our state. Our focus will be MORE JOBS. LOWER COSTS. BETTER SERVICES. We ve got a strong plan for real change. A STRONG PLAN FOR REAL CHANGE 2

3 WHAT WE LL DO If elected in March 2018, a Marshall Government will immediately review the work undertaken to date by the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure and expedite the necessary investigations and business cases for the remaining project sections in liaison with Infrastructure Australia. We will ensure the outstanding businesses cases are completed and submitted to the Federal Government by the end of We will then work in collaboration with Infrastructure Australia and the Federal Government to secure federal funding and establish a definite schedule for the remaining sections of the northsouth corridor. Our work will also include: Detailed concept planning including traffic modelling; Consultation with local government, utilities and the community; Firming up cost estimates and developing an implementation plan; Undertaking financial and economic analysis; and Developing a procurement strategy and work packages which provide South Australian businesses with opportunities to be included. A Marshall Liberal Government will not support tolls and we rule out tolls for financing any section of the North-South Corridor. In evaluating all of the advice, we will investigate all technical solutions that can be applied to this important project. This will include consideration of tunnelling between Grange Road and Anzac Highway as a solution to minimise adverse impacts on the community. We will finalise for stakeholder and community consultation a detailed alignment, funding and delivery strategy for the remaining sections of the corridor. We will ensure procurement and work packages are developed using construction methods and scheduling that limit the impact on commuters and communities. Until the North South Corridor is complete, we won t secure the full benefit from those sections already constructed. As Adelaide s most important road corridor for commuter and freight traffic, it s vital that this project is completed to alleviate pressure on our arterial road network, particularly during peak periods, and to support much more efficient movement of local, interstate and international freight. A STRONG PLAN FOR REAL CHANGE 3

4 MORE JOBS. LOWER COSTS. BETTER SERVICES. WHY WE RE DOING IT The North South Corridor is the major route for north and south bound traffic, including freight vehicles, running between Gawler and Old Noarlunga, a distance of 78 kilometres. Three major sections of the project remain unfunded. They are: Regency Park to Pym Street River Torrens to Anzac Highway Anzac Highway to Darlington To secure federal funding support for the project, it is necessary first for the State Government to submit a detailed business case to Infrastructure Australia, including final concept designs and benefit cost ratios. Infrastructure Australia is currently considering a business case for the Regency to Pym Street section of the corridor but no business cases have been provided yet for the River Torrens to Anzac Highway and Anzac Highway to Darlington sections two of the most complicated sections of the entire project. Infrastructure Australia makes recommendations to the Federal Government based on sound (evidence-based) planning and economic assessment processes. The Federal Government provided the Weatherill Government with $8.5 million in funds for North- South Corridor project planning. This should have been ample to develop all of the required business cases in cooperation with Infrastructure Australia and firm up all project sections including public consultation, economic analysis, further scoping of project details and how project sections could be bundled as work packages to best suit funding availability and procurement strategies. As a result, a clear funding strategy could have been agreed to by the State and Federal governments. But under the Weatherill Government, all the required planning has not been done and there is no clear action plan for the remaining project sections. Much of the $8.5 million provided for this planning work appears to have been consumed elsewhere. Because of the Weatherill Government s incompetence it is now impossible to complete the North-South Corridor within the 10-year timeframe proposed by the Federal Government and agreed to by the State Labor Government. Detailed planning, consultation, service relocation and land acquisition for the remaining sections of the North-South corridor could take up to 2 years, followed by construction of between 2 to 4 years for each separate project section. The Weatherill Government has shown a complete lack of understanding of what is required to plan an infrastructure project and has again attempted to shift blame to Canberra for delays in funding decisions when it has failed to deliver the basic project information for consideration by federal agencies. A STRONG PLAN FOR REAL CHANGE 4

5 STEVEN MARSHALL MP State Liberal Leader Phone: A STRONG PLAN FOR REAL CHANGE 5