Long-term infrastructure road map released for SA

Premier Steven Marshall said ISA was established as an independent body to provide expert advice to government and enable informed and evidence-based decisions on infrastructure planning, investment and delivery.

"ISA's first 20-year infrastructure strategy provides a road map outlining the crucial long-term infrastructure issues we need to address to grow our economy, improve government service delivery, support population growth and create more jobs," he said.

"We have already established a record $12.9 billion pipeline of infrastructure works over the next four years to improve economic productivity, make our roads safer, invest in education, health and other important services and underpin tens of thousands of jobs.

"With ISA's 20-year strategy as our guide, we will continue to develop a long-term infrastructure pipeline to build a stronger and better SA."

Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government Minister Stephan Knoll said the 20-year strategy identified some great economic opportunities to grow SA's economy.

"This report provides us with a blueprint to help us make smarter decisions about how we spend taxpayers' money when it comes to building infrastructure," he said.

"It identifies immediate opportunities to extend water infrastructure to the Barossa and upgrade the Strzelecki track to boost economic productivity and output, both of which the state government is currently investigating.

"The strategy also says we need to look at upgrading and optimising our current infrastructure assets and clear the backlog of road maintenance we inherited after 16 years of Labor. That's why we are investing record amounts to fix our roads, including over $1.1b to fix over 1000 kilometres of country roads over the next four years to improve productivity and help save lives."

The SA Chamber of Mines and Energy also welcomed the release of the strategy as an important first step in developing the infrastructure required to harness the untapped potential of SA's resources sector.

"SA's resources sector has underpinned the State's economy during the turbulence of the coronavirus pandemic," SACOME chief executive officer Rebecca Knol said.

"The strategy highlights the importance of identifying opportunities that have sufficient scale and global demand to achieve a step change in growth, and recognises the importance of the resources sector in unlocking economic value for the state.

"The strategy acknowledges and makes headway toward resolving the poor condition of the state's regional road network that limits both efficiency and productivity of the SA supply chain.

"SACOME is committed to working with Infrastructure SA to identify and progress strategic infrastructure solutions that encourage the growth of our sector and of the state."

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The SA Freight Council - SA's peak transport industry lobby group - cautiously welcomed the strategy, but said it revealed critical road maintenance needs.

"This is a solid strategy for the transport and logistics industry, formally recognising many of the current issues and emerging infrastructure problems that SAFC raised in its 20-year SIS submission, Moving Freight 2019," SAFC executive officer Evan Knapp said.

"We applaud ISA's practical look at the underlying infrastructure issues in SA, while noting the long-term impact that COVID-19 will have on the State's economy, and hence its infrastructure requirements.

"However, the strategy also formally reveals the scope of the infrastructure maintenance backlog in SA, which has built over successive decades and governments. Estimated at $730 million today, the backlog is expected to rise to over $1.2 billion by 20251 in the absence of swift action.

"The good news is that with official recognition of the problem comes an opportunity for the government to take action. This will have bonus stimulus effects in the current COVID-19 related economic climate as road maintenance is labour intensive (adding jobs), is required across all regional areas, saves money in the long-term when conducted to a sustainable program, and increases road productivity and safety."

Primary Producers SA chair Rob Kerin agreed that SA's road maintenance was in a "precarious position and the growing backlog must be addressed urgently".

"The strategy notes that, on a per kilometre basis, SA allocates eight times less funding than NSW for road maintenance," he said.

"Whilst we acknowledge recent maintenance, we would emphasise the size of this problem, the productivity and safety benefits from increased investment, and the heightened economic effects of investment in the current economic climate.

"Primary production sectors all have identified infrastructure gaps when creating industry plans.

"Significant improvements in productivity have resulted from industry and sovernment working together in prioritising maintenance spending, as acknowledged in the strategy."

But Opposition Transport and Infrastructure spokesperson Tom Koutsantonis said the 20-year plan failed to commit to any new infrastructure projects and was concerned there was talk of putting toll roads back on the agenda.

"SA is rightly proud we don't have toll roads, unlike the eastern states," he said.

"The Marshall Liberal Government promised no toll roads, but then they also promised no privatisations and they broke that promise.

"I am also concerned this report fails to provide any detail about new infrastructure projects that would support SA jobs and businesses.

"We're facing a jobs valley of death unless the Liberals step up and provide a pipeline of projects."