Anthony Albanese Patrick Conlon Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Minister for Transport Regional Development and Local Government

Joint News Release

SA ECONOMY TO GET BOOST FROM $48 MILLION IN EXTRA ROAD FUNDING

Work is set to start up to six months early on vital road projects across , as part of the Rudd and Rann Labor governments’ strategy to support jobs during the global recession.

Federal Transport and Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese said the Australian Government will immediately provide the South Australian Government with $48.4 million for the maintenance and upgrade of the State’s road network.

“As well as putting in place the road infrastructure vital to Australia’s long term economic prosperity, this new funding will support hundreds of local jobs, provide an immediate stimulus to local economies and save lives,” said Mr Albanese.

The key elements of the package include:

• Fast tracking safety upgrades along the Dukes and Sturt highways and ; • Extra funding for road maintenance; • New money to fix dangerous blacks spots; • Building new and upgrading existing rest stops for truck drivers; and • Installing boom gates and other safety measures at high risk rail crossings.

“Central to the Government’s nation building agenda, and essential to Australia’s international competitiveness, is a greater investment in transport infrastructure,” said Mr Albanese.

“That’s why we have put in place a $26 billion Nation Build road and rail program for the period between 2008/09 and 2013/14 – a record amount of Federal funding and double what the previous government spent over a similar period of time.

“Out of this budget, $1.7 billion is earmarked for road projects in South Australia.”

Mr Conlon said the State Government had worked very hard to secure these funds.

“The Rann Government is spending more than any SA State Government in history on our transport infrastructure and this is reward for that commitment,” he said.

“We’ll see a far more efficient and importantly safer stretch of road between and the border providing benefits to local communities, tourists and our freight industry alike.”

Tuesday, 3 March 2009 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ROAD INVESTMENT PACKAGE

• DUKES : $5.3 million to fast-track the extension of 4 overtaking lanes between Tailem Bend and Victorian border and repairs to 2 kilometres of road surface west of Tintinara. Work on the projects is expected to start in the coming weeks and will be completed this year.

This is the first instalment from the Australian Government’s $80 million Dukes Highway Safety Upgrade package promised prior to the 2007 election.

A further $20 million will be spent on the Adelaide – road corridor, with works between Tailem Bend and Verdun to be funded by the State Government as part of this deal.

• : $2.8 million to widen the Highway between Paringa and the Victorian border from 8 to 10 metres, improving driving conditions and safety along this 22 kilometre stretch of road.

Work on the Sturt Highway upgrade will commence shortly and is expected to be completed in 2009.

• BLACK SPOTS: $7.2 million to fix approximately 44 additional dangerous black spots by year’s end, bringing the total allocation for the current financial year to $10.7 million.

The Black Spot program can be used to fund a range of road safety projects such as building roundabouts, redesigning dangerous intersections, installing speed signs and upgrading pedestrian crossings.

The extra funding comes from the Australian Government’s two stimulus packages. The specific location of these projects will be announced shortly.

• ROAD MAINTENANCE: $15 million to accelerate South Australia’s program of routine maintenance on the national highways running through the State. This additional work will be undertaken between now and the end of June.

The extra funding comes from the Australian Government’s February stimulus package.

• TRUCK STOPS & REST AREAS: $4.5 million to build 2 new and 5 upgraded rest stops as well as 3 new and 3 upgraded parking/decoupling bays along the Adelaide to Port Augusta link, providing truck drivers with more and safer places to get some sleep or check their loads.

• BOOM GATES FOR RAIL CROSSINGS: $13.65 million over the next 18 months to speed up the installation of boom gates and other safety measures at high risk rail crossings.

The specific location of these projects will be announced shortly.