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The State Budget has allocated funding for a number of new road and transport projects, including:
However, RAA remains concerned the state’s $2.1bn road maintenance backlog has not been sufficiently addressed, with only a small increase in funding expected in the coming years.
RAA Chief Executive Officer Nick Reade said RAA acknowledged the North-South Corridor project was soaking up a significant amount of the State Budget.
“We recognise a large portion of the State Budget is being allocated to the North-South Corridor project, but we can’t take our eye off other road upgrades that are desperately needed,” Mr Reade said.
“It’s pleasing to see targeted investment in infrastructure projects that will improve transport for residents in key growth areas like Murray Bridge and Mount Barker.
“This includes expanding the MetroCard boundary and boosting bus services to Murray Bridge, which was a key ask from RAA’s Growth without Gridlock platform.
“RAA also welcomes the funding for increased enforcement of the state’s real-time fuel pricing scheme and a strategic fuel reserve to improve fuel security amid the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
“While we acknowledge the almost $200 million allocated for road maintenance funding 2026-27 – and an increase of $20 million forecast for 2027-28 – this still falls well short of the $250 million we require to get on top of SA’s $2.1bn road maintenance backlog.
“Too many roads are in an unsafe state with potholes, cracks and crumbling shoulders – especially in our regions – so we’ll continue to push for a funding boost in future budgets before the problem gets even worse.
“We also want to see investment in public electric vehicle chargers to ensure we can keep pace with the current uptake in EVs which is being accelerated by higher fuel prices.”
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