Murraylands misses out on new infrastructure in 2023-24 state budget
State MPs Adrian Pederick and Nick McBride are not impressed.
The lack of new local projects in this year’s state budget is underwhelming at best, the Murraylands’ state MPs say.
Member for Hammond Adrian Pederick was quick to point out that the two major infrastructure projects included in the budget were upgrades of the Old Murray Bridge and Murray Bridge North School.
Both were begun by the previous Liberal government before the 2022 election.
“I am extremely disappointed at the lack of infrastructure funding, not just in Hammond but right across the state,” he said.
“Concerningly, there is no new money to tackle the $3 billion road maintenance backlog and no new money for any regional road upgrades such as the duplication of the Dukes, Sturt and Augusta highways.”
Duplication of the Swanport Bridge and a Greater Adelaide freight bypass were other projects which had not been allotted any money in the budget, he noted.
MP Nick McBride, whose electorate of Mackillop includes Tailem Bend, was equally concerned about the lack of regional road funding.
“The RAA has called on Labor to commit $750 million over four years in order to address important repairs,” he said.
“We have a backlog of maintenance that impacts on the safety of road users.”
He also called for an exemption to the upcoming electronic ear tag system for producers whose sheep were being bred for meat and would never be transferred between properties; and for a higher rate of assistance through the Patient Assistance Transport Scheme for people seeking medical care in Adelaide.
Opposition primary industries and regional development spokeswoman Nicola Cenofanti accused the government and its budget of being too city-centric.
Of the $588.4 million in new funding set aside for regional South Australia, she said, a quarter would go to semi-suburban Mount Barker.
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