TONY PASIN MP
MEMBER FOR BARKER
SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSPORT
ASHTON HURN MP
MEMBER FOR SCHUBERT
Shadow Minister for HEALTH
MEDIA RELEASE
LABOR SCRAPS TRURO FREIGHT ROUTE
200 days after the Albanese Labor Government announced its 90 Day infrastructure review, the fate of Truro Freight Route is now clear with the Albanese Government announcing the withdrawal of the $161 million in Federal Government funding allocated to the project by the former Coalition Government in 2019.
Member for Barker responded to the news calling the decision short sighted and avoidable.
“The former Coalition Government set us on a trajectory of increased investment into road infrastructure, building what was needed for the safe and productive movement of goods and to ensure people get home to their loved ones,” Mr Pasin said.
The South Australian infrastructure projects cut from the 10 year pipeline included the Truro Freight Route, construction of which was intended to begin in December 2022.
“Infrastructure Minister Tom Koutsantonis failed to get shovels in the ground in December 2022. As a result, the project fell victim to Albanese razor gang 90 Day infrastructure review,” Mr Pasin said.
“Not only was Koutsantonis’ project design flawed by not considering the need for dual lanes, but the project has now been scrapped altogether.”
“To make matters worse, any chance of the Truro Freight Route being put back on the agenda has been diminished as Albanese abandons the traditional funding split of 80/20 meaning the State Government will need to find additional funding if the project is ever going to come to fruition.”
“Labor has relegated this project to a time far, far away into the future,” Mr Pasin said.
“Labor is far too focused on winning votes in metropolitan Adelaide in the next election than seeing the strategic importance that projects in regional SA, such as the Truro Freight Route have on the long term economic growth and of our State and indeed our Nation,” Mr Pasin said.
Local Member for Schubert, Mrs Ashton Hurn said it is incredibly disappointing that the Truro Freight Route has been axed by the Labor Government.
“The cutting of this project is a huge kick in the guts for locals who have been wanting to get trucks off of the Main Street of Truro for years,” said Mrs Hurn.
“Around 600 B-Doubles and road trains travel along the Main Street each and every day, and it causes great distress, not just for the local community, but for the truckies as well. The freight route would have meant faster transportation as well.
“Delivering this project was on track under the former Liberal government and we should have seen shovels in the ground late in 2022.
“Had the Labor government stuck to timeline the Truro freight route project would never have been caught up in the infrastructure review.
“Abandoning these infrastructure projects across the state is not just a setback for our local community, but for regional South Australia more broadly. It’s another example of how little value Labor puts on regional communities.”
Media Contact: Charlotte Edmunds 8724 7730
