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RAA has welcomed the release of the new Greater Adelaide Regional Plan and associated infrastructure blueprints, which outline the road and transport investments needed to support sustainable population growth.
The state’s largest member organisation is pleased to see the final Greater Adelaide Regional Plan (GARP) aligns with several key priorities RAA put forward as part of its submission to the Plan’s discussion paper.
RAA has long called for the provision of rail connections to new and imminent developments in the state’s north and south – with RAA welcoming the State Government’s confirmation that rail corridors to Sellicks and Roseworthy/Concordia will be preserved.
Among other initiatives, RAA also supports:
RAA Chief Executive Officer Nick Reade said the new GARP, SA Transport Strategy and Infrastructure Strategy were key milestones in South Australia’s planning future.
“RAA has been a powerful advocate for our members and our state for more than 120 years – and we support sustainable population growth for South Australia,” Mr Reade said.
“We welcome the State Government’s release of the Greater Adelaide Regional Plan, which aligns with many of the initiatives we’ve been calling for on behalf of our 830,000+ members.
“In the past, our transport infrastructure has not kept pace with housing growth, so we’re pleased to see confirmation that key public transport corridors will be preserved into the future.
“We also welcome new greenfield growth areas that will give families more choice when it comes to housing.
“South Australians don’t want to see population growth at the expense of our quality of life or our liveability – they want to see the infrastructure keep pace.
“We look forward to seeing the GARP, Transport Strategy and Infrastructure Strategy come to life in the coming years.”
RAA Senior Manager Safety and Infrastructure Charles Mountain said South Australia’s road network needed continual investment to support population growth.
“At RAA we want to see better planned communities so people can travel around our state effectively – whether that be by car, or public or active transport,” Mr Mountain said.
“The new Infrastructure Strategy highlights the importance of identifying freight corridors to support future growth and minimising impact on residential areas.
“We would expect this to include the Adelaide Hills Freight Bypass Route planning and delivery of the key elements including duplication of the Swanport Bridge, Truro Bypass and a revised heavy vehicle route that by-passes current and future development areas of Murray Bridge.
“The Transport Strategy highlights the importance of planning for new developments to reduce our reliance on personal cars, to ensure we don’t repeat failures of the past in this regard.
“Our existing road network, which has a $2bn road maintenance backlog, also needs to be brought up to speed, and this is acknowledged by the Transport Strategy.
“To fund all this investment, we continue to call for a wholistic reform of the motor tax system to replace the fuel excise, as revenue from this will continue to shrink more EVs hit our roads.”