Infrastructure Australia backs State Government’s AdeLINK tram vision

Infrastructure Australia has backed the State Government’s vision of bringing trams back to Adelaide’s suburbs, ranking the project as a priority in its new Infrastructure Priority List.

Transport and Infrastructure Minister Stephen Mullighan said Labor’s vision of a new AdeLINK tram network was outlined in the Integrated Transport and Land Use Plan released last year.

“We welcome Infrastructure Australia’s endorsement of this important public transport initiative and the decision to place it on its priority list,” he said.

“The AdeLINK network will revolutionise our city and encourage people to live along these corridors but to get these projects moving we require cooperation and funding from the Commonwealth Government.”

Mr Mullighan said Infrastructure Australia had also identified eight other priority projects including the electrification of the Gawler rail line, which has been given high priority status.

“This Labor Government has long considered the Gawler electrification a high priority and that is why we decided go it alone when the Federal Liberal Government reneged on a long- standing Commonwealth commitment to partner with the State Government on the project,” he said.

“We have already seen the immense benefits of the electrification of the Seaford line with faster, more reliable services and increasing patronage.

“The State Government has committed $152.5 million to begin electrification to Salisbury in 2017 and with a Commonwealth contribution the full line could be completed sooner.”

Mr Mullighan said the $450 million Strzelecki Track upgrade was again included on the list.

“Sealing the 472-kilometre Strzelecki Track is a nation-building project which would provide an enormous boost to the mining and freight industries, local communities and tourism,” he said.

The other priority projects are:

• Completing the remaining sections of the North-South Corridor
• Freight improvements to the Sturt Highway for high productivity vehicles
• Rail line capacity improvements between Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth
• Developing port infrastructure for regional mining and resources industries
• Constructing a 350-kilometre railway to the Gawler Craton mining province
• Securing water resources for Northern Adelaide plains agribusiness industries

“Infrastructure Australia prepares this list through a rigorous prioritisation process to ensure a pipeline of highly credible and nationally significant infrastructure projects,” Mr Mullighan said.

The nine priority projects identified are vitally important to ensure South Australia’s future economic productivity.

Source: News Release, Government of South Australia, 17 February 2016

http://www.premier.sa.gov.au/images/news_releases/2016/16_02February/infrastructureaustralia.pdf