Kathy Gandolfi
SOME roads in the region are more than 10 years past their normal life span, according to State Member of Parliament for MacKillop, Nick McBride.
Speaking at the January meeting of Wattle Range Council, Mr McBride was invited to address the elected members on a number of issues including roads.
He referred to a meeting which he hosted in Naracoorte last November with the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Corey Wingard (via electronic means), along with representatives from the Department of Infrastructure and Transport, government road construction contractor Fulton Hogan and representatives from each of the region’s councils.
The meeting followed Wattle Range Council advocating for change after receiving numerous complaints from the public, mostly relating to the sealed arterial road network that is managed by the State Government, including writing to the Premier and the Minister.
“The meeting has got traction right to the top,” Mr McBride said adding he had run into the Premier not long after the meeting in the halls of Parliament House and the Premier had stopped and spoken about the roads in the South East saying he had just had a meeting and the Premier acknowledged that “there are a lot of old roads that need a lot of money”.
“I thought that was excellent feedback,” Mr McBride told the Council meeting.
Mr McBride said that he understood the life of a road was about 40 years.
“Some of ours are at 57 years,” he said indicating that they were past their normal life.
During Mr McBride’s 40 minute presentation to the public meeting, he answered a number of questions from councillors.
One of them was from council’s Deputy Mayor, Moira Neagle who asked of the Liberal MP a question related the safe nature of the MacKillop seat.
“I had the unfortunate need to be in Adelaide and I could not get over the amount of road works going on there and I thought, it would be good to live in a swinging seat,” she said, asking for a response.
In responding, Mr McBride asked members of the media present, of which there were three, to “put down their pens” indicating that he did not wish his response to be reported.
The representative of The Border Watch did put down her pen during the answer given by Mr McBride and in the following days asked for an official answer from Mr McBride’s office.
The official written answer provided by Mr McBride read as follows:
“Maintaining and fixing our road network is a high priority for me,” Mr McBride wrote.
“I understand that my Government faces challenges from MP’s across the State, who wish to see as much money as possible spent in upgrading roads in their electorate.
“It is my view that maintaining a safe road network is a necessity, regardless of if the electorate is a safe Liberal seat.
“I have had recent discussions with Local Government representatives and the Transport Minister highlighting the decline in the condition of roads in MacKillop.
“After shining a light on the issue the Transport Minister is more aware of the maintenance backlog in the area and Government is working on solving this issue.
“I have, and will continue to have, honest discussions with the Transport Minister and the Premier in an effort to secure as much funding as possible for my region’s roads.”
Minister Wingard, in a letter tabled at Wattle Range Council’s December meeting responded to a letter from Mayor Des Noll about the condition of the roads in the South East.
The letter referred to several projects being undertaken and more recent information provided by the Department advised that bridge barrier replacement work was completed in July 2020 at several locations on Clay Wells Road between Robe to Penola.
Shoulder sealing on the 55km section of Clay Wells Road between the Southern Ports Highway and Callendale Road, along with the upgrade of safety barriers at six bridges and the installation of auto tactile line marking, was completed in early 2021.
The Department also advised that a southbound overtaking lane will be constructed on the Riddoch Highway between Edenhope Road and Coonawarra with these works expected to begin this year and expected to be completed next year.
Also this year, safety barrier upgrades will be undertaken on Mount Burr Road.
“Mile Hill Road, Kangaroo Flat Road, Overland Track, Mount Burr Road and Southern Ports Highway are all currently included in the Department’s resurfacing program for 2022-23, with timing to be determined,” said the Department spokesperson.
