[AdminAG]

South Australia gets federal road funding crumbs

SOUTH Australian councils have the worst share of Federal Government road funding of any state or territory, a Victorian inquiry has shown.

by Miles Kemp

Source: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/south-australia-gets-federal-road-funding-crumbs/story-e6frea83-1225916087157

The Victorian Government inquiry shows SA has only 5.5 per cent of funding but this should be increased to 8.4 per cent based on how other road funding is divided up  combined road network length and population  rather than just road length.

The inquiry found while SA is short-changed by $15 million each year, Tasmania is the biggest winner under the current model, with more than double what it should get and WA is also overfunded.

Local Government Association strategic adviser Chris Russell said the unfairness in the formula had been proven in the past when the Rudd Government used the alternative model to allocate its so-called "Roads to Recovery" funding.

"Under the legislation, SA gets 5.5 per cent of these funds when we have more than 11 per cent of the road length and around 7.6 per cent of the nation's population," he said.

"The basic unfairness of this was recognised when the Roads to Recovery program was put in place as we have received 8.4 per cent of these funds since it was established but under the financial assistant grants legislation we kept getting 5.5 per cent of the local roads grants." Mr Russell said top-up funding to take SA to its fair level would run out in 10 months and the Gillard government had refused to respond to requests that this be extended or the problem fixed permanently.

"It is an absolute travesty the issue is not yet fully fixed," he said.

"We will certainly be keeping an eye on the issue."

The Victorian government funding model would result in an increased share of funding for Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia but decreased shares of funding for Western Australia, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory, and the Northern Territory.

It uses the length of the local roads network in each state and territory as well as the level of usage, because the amount of use is the most significant factor causing damage to roads leading to repairs.

Transport Minister Patrick Conlon would not comment on the underfunding.

A spokesman said it was a matter for local government.

[AshSimmonds]

Is there more to it or are they really spending a billion dollars upgrading one of the only parts of South Rd that actually works?

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/south-rd-superway-set-for-2013-completion/story-e6frea83-1225949636198

[TomE]

Is there more to it or are they really spending a billion dollars upgrading one of the only parts of South Rd that actually works?

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/south-rd-superway-set-for-2013-completion/story-e6frea83-1225949636198

 

They built the whole damn Korean Formula 1 track for only $264m !!! They want to spend 3 times that building an intersection???

[cazna52]

Is there more to it or are they really spending a billion dollars upgrading one of the only parts of South Rd that actually works?

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/south-rd-superway-set-for-2013-completion/story-e6frea83-1225949636198

The best way to deal with traffic is what they are doing at about 0:45 in that video. The traffic just disappears.

[anotherforumuser]

Why would you give the SA govt any more money to waste on roads?
How many months would it have taken an Asian country to build a bridge like the Anzac, South Road, Bridge which took 4 years and left a road with a speed hump in one lane?

I've got nothing to do with the building trade and I could have built that project in under 12 months with 50 men. All they had to do was prefab 2 bridges and dig a ditch.  Absolutely scandalous waste of money.

[futurism]

That South road superhighway really is stupid

that is clearly the best part of South road

The worst bit is between Torrens Road and Port Road and there was supposed to be a tunnel there
All the buildings along that stretch are pretty much vacant ready for something to be done, and nothing happened.

I used to live there and when I moved in we would get notices about how work was about to start, then nothing, then the elevated highway thats useless instead

[AshSimmonds]

Adelaide's worst intersections: http://bit.ly/fq3qDI

[AshSimmonds]

Oh yeah - and apparently Watten's Lamborghini Gallardo will appear on A Current Affair tonight, to do with a story about "Australia's intersection chaos"...

Family friend said they spotted my gallardo on an ACA commercial today on a story about australias worst intersections. Pricks bag out AE.com and then use our cars to sell their stories. I want royalties now!!!!

[Ferrari Fissatore]

While in tassie last weekend, i saw an ad on telly telling Aussies how to merge "zipper" style...

cracked me up...

I'm not sure what it is, or why, but I can't believe how bad it is here... NOBODY seems to be able to merge properly... but at long last somebody has realised, and at least the tassies are getting told!

[fivesix]

While in tassie last weekend, i saw an ad on telly telling Aussies how to merge "zipper" style...

cracked me up...

I'm not sure what it is, or why, but I can't believe how bad it is here... NOBODY seems to be able to merge properly... but at long last somebody has realised, and at least the tassies are getting told!

saw that in NZ. shame you need adds to get people to do it...