Mr WOOD - 2003-06-18
Madam Speaker, I hope the gravel does not come from Middle Arm Peninsula.
Minister, your department’s plans show that the southern entrance to the Coolalinga Caravan Park and Service Station will be closed off and, according to the Director of Road Network, retention of this entry is not negotiable. Roadtrain entries to this service station will be practically impossible.
I recently met a representative of a gas company who is willing to invest $150 000 in installing gas filling equipment for line haul diesel substitution vehicles at Coolalinga, but he has said in his letter to the owners, if the entry is closed his company will not go ahead with the proposed investment. Yesterday, I noticed you wore a sticker which said ‘Gas and Jobs’. If you really believe that, then will you allow the Coolalinga Service Station entry to stay open so that the rural area can have both gas and jobs?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. It is true that in the past few years Coolalinga has seen an unprecedented growth but, unfortunately, the previous government had done nothing to address traffic management or traffic planning. As a result, we have seen a number of accidents occurring in the Coolalinga area, in Girraween Road, and we cannot continue like that. We cannot allow human lives to be lost because somebody failed to undertake proper planning in the area. I have been berated before for putting traffic lights on the Stuart Highway. I do not apologise for that because I cannot come face to face with parents and with children because of traffic accidents; I cannot face people who have been injured or maimed because of other people not obeying the rules or speeding.
Coming back to Coolalinga, as you are probably aware, there was consultation with the public about changing the Coolalinga traffic area. I had representations from the Mobil petrol station owner, who advised that he was not very happy with the proposal from my department. I asked my department to go back and have another look at it. There were, I believe, plans exhibited at your office, the office of the member for Goyder and at Woolworths. We asked for further input from the public, and I believe the consultation period closes today.
I understand that the owner of the Coolalinga petrol station is not very happy. However, at the same time, we have to balance the safety of the travelling public and access to the petrol station. We are still prepared to discuss how we can make safe access to his petrol station. However, we are not going to be dictated to by any company that wants to invest any amount of money anywhere when it means danger to the travelling public, which means accidents and results in people being killed or injured.
Minister, your department’s plans show that the southern entrance to the Coolalinga Caravan Park and Service Station will be closed off and, according to the Director of Road Network, retention of this entry is not negotiable. Roadtrain entries to this service station will be practically impossible.
I recently met a representative of a gas company who is willing to invest $150 000 in installing gas filling equipment for line haul diesel substitution vehicles at Coolalinga, but he has said in his letter to the owners, if the entry is closed his company will not go ahead with the proposed investment. Yesterday, I noticed you wore a sticker which said ‘Gas and Jobs’. If you really believe that, then will you allow the Coolalinga Service Station entry to stay open so that the rural area can have both gas and jobs?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. It is true that in the past few years Coolalinga has seen an unprecedented growth but, unfortunately, the previous government had done nothing to address traffic management or traffic planning. As a result, we have seen a number of accidents occurring in the Coolalinga area, in Girraween Road, and we cannot continue like that. We cannot allow human lives to be lost because somebody failed to undertake proper planning in the area. I have been berated before for putting traffic lights on the Stuart Highway. I do not apologise for that because I cannot come face to face with parents and with children because of traffic accidents; I cannot face people who have been injured or maimed because of other people not obeying the rules or speeding.
Coming back to Coolalinga, as you are probably aware, there was consultation with the public about changing the Coolalinga traffic area. I had representations from the Mobil petrol station owner, who advised that he was not very happy with the proposal from my department. I asked my department to go back and have another look at it. There were, I believe, plans exhibited at your office, the office of the member for Goyder and at Woolworths. We asked for further input from the public, and I believe the consultation period closes today.
I understand that the owner of the Coolalinga petrol station is not very happy. However, at the same time, we have to balance the safety of the travelling public and access to the petrol station. We are still prepared to discuss how we can make safe access to his petrol station. However, we are not going to be dictated to by any company that wants to invest any amount of money anywhere when it means danger to the travelling public, which means accidents and results in people being killed or injured.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016