State Government tender documents have revealed that important design work on the final stages of the north-south corridor are still months away from commencing.
The news of further delays comes as Federal Government figures revealed in The Australian this morning show that South Australia sits at the bottom of all the States in terms of COVID-19 stimulus spending.
The Master Builders Association also use a full-page ad in today’s Advertiser pleading for the Marshall Liberal Government to bring forward infrastructure investment.
The tender released this week seeks Registrations of Interest (ROI) for companies to develop a Reference Design for the project. It states the RFP will commence in mid-August 2020 and won’t conclude until October 2020.
That means at the very earliest key design work will not start for months.
Reference design is a critical component in the preparation of a Business Case, final costings and construction tender.
The Marshall Liberal Government have repeatedly missed self-imposed deadlines to release details of the preferred option for the last section of this important upgrade.
On 16 June 2019 former Transport Minister Stephan Knoll said “The business case is around the corner, once we receive it we will obviously have to give it serious consideration before making a decision”. That was almost 14 months ago and now we learn that important design work won’t start until October 2020 at the very earliest.
This comes at a time when South Australia desperate needs as many jobs as possible. South Australia has the worst unemployment rate in Australia – with 190,000 South Australians unemployed or underemployed.
Between 2014-18 Labor was able to secure funding, plan, design, tender, contract and commence construction on $2.5 billion worth of South Road projects – Torrens to Torrens, Darlington and Northern Connector.
Steven Marshall has been in government for more than two years, yet as of today the final stage of the North-South corridor has stalled.
Quotes attributable to Member for Badcoe Jayne Stinson
South Australia has the worst unemployment rate in Australia.
Tragically, 190,000 South Australians are unemployed or underemployed.
We need to be doing everything we can to create as many jobs as possible.
We know infrastructure projects are a key creator of jobs.
Yet since the Marshall Liberal Government was elected, getting construction started on the final section of the north-south corridor has come to a standstill.
That SA sits at the bottom of the national table for COVID-19 stimulus spending is a disgrace.
The Marshall Liberal Government have continually missed self-imposed deadlines, promises to release final designs and a business case.
Steven Marshall has been in government for more than two years, yet as of today the final stage of the North-South corridor has stalled, with:
No final design
No construction timeline
No works commenced
No jobs created
South Australia is paying the price for Steven Marshall’s inaction on the north-south corridor.