The South Australian Freight Council (SAFC) has called for the South Australian Government to immediately investigate the viability of introducing toll roads to assist in funding of a number of key transport infrastructure projects vital to the State’s growth.


The calls come after the SAFC unveiled four major transport infrastructure projects – with a combined cost of an estimated $5.5 billion – that it believes are critical for the State’s economic growth.


“Tough decisions need to be made now by the South Australian Government to ensure these key transport infrastructure projects – and others we have identified - are undertaken before it is too late,” SA Freight Council Chief Executive Officer Neil Murphy said.

The projects identified by the SAFC are:

  • A free-flowing North-South Corridor (cost $4 billion-plus) based around a comprehensive upgrade of South Road, including a proposed tunnel underPort and Grange roads, as the backbone of Adelaide’s transport system is a critical component of South Australia’s long-term economic prosperity;
  •  An accelerated road maintenance program to alleviate a maintenance deficit that has exponentially increased from the State Government’s estimate of $160 million in 2003 (not including roads under the care and control of Local Government) to over $250 million today;
  •  Transport infrastructure to support the expanding mining industry including the development of key deep water ports, and road and rail links to service the mining sector across SA (Conservatively estimated to exceed $1 billion of public and private sector investment), and:
  •  Addressing “Last Mile” road access issues through critical upgrades and access improvements, and creating more rest facilities on high productivity vehicle routes for heavy vehicles across the State ($220 million-plus over a 20 year period). A load of freight may be travelling 1000kms or just 10kms, but if road access is denied to loading or unloading locations for heavy combinations, operators will use smaller configurations, often for the full journey creating negative economic, social and environmental consequences.