Opinion
The state budget’s billions for the South Road upgrade represents another lost opportunity to invest in public transport and get more cars off the streets, argues Craig Wilkins.
News
Residents affected by construction of the state’s biggest infrastructure project will remain in the dark about the future of their properties until at least the middle of next year, with the Marshall Government still several months away from delivering a detailed business plan for the $8.9 billion South Road project.
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Two tunnels along a 10-kilometre stretch of South Road will see the state’s biggest transport infrastructure headache solved within a decade, at a cost of at least $8.9 billion – the centrepiece of the Marshall Government’s plan to spend the state out of a COVID-induced crisis.
Labor says it’s been leaked the Marshall Government’s “centrepiece announcement” for next month’s State Budget – secret documents the Opposition claims reveal details of the final stage of the North-South Corridor, including revelations the project may not be completed until 2035.
By refusing to guarantee the survival of the widely-loved Thebarton Theatre, the Marshall Government has already lost control of the narrative around its plans for South Road, writes Tom Richardson.
Embattled Infrastructure Minister Stephan Knoll has refused to confirm he attended a Liberal fundraiser in Mount Gambier yesterday, whilst conceding he shares metropolitan motorists’ “frustration” about the ongoing debacle engulfing the state’s busiest roadway.
The State Government says it expects $1.8 billion for SA roads and rail funding in tomorrow’s federal budget, but the Opposition has doubts about the commitment.
