Mr WOOD - 2005-11-30
You recently responded to a petition from the member for Daly in the negative to a simple request to allow for a pedestrian crossing at the Adelaide River Railway Station. You said it was not supported by the owner of the railway and it would encourage vehicles to stop on the highway side of the railway. Considering that a pedestrian crossing has possibly been at that spot since 1888, at least 1941 and, surely, in 1976, considering this is a straight stretch of rail and slow speed section, that coaches cannot park anywhere else, there are at least two other pedestrian crossings along that stretch of line, and you had a petition of 500 people asking for a change, will you not reconsider you refusal to approve the simple and sensible request for a pedestrian crossing?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this has been an impassioned issue. I pay tribute to those who are in the Adelaide River region who actually run the Adelaide River Precinct. They do a great job. What they have on display there and the way they are using the old station is certainly of great tourism benefit and the local people are very proud of it.
The issue of how tourists and visitors access the precinct has been one that has been there ever since the railway line was built. There has been quite a lot of discussion and correspondence, and I have had my relevant agency and the operator of the rail, FreightLink, look at the issue. It seemed like a sensible thing to have that access but, when you look at some of the technical aspects of it, the gradient, the curve - there is probably another technical term here - of the track as it comes into that area, my best advice is - and I have tested this a number of times - it is not appropriate to have a crossing at that point. It is not appropriate.
Let me assure the member that I have tested this a number of times. The response has come back, both from FreightLink and my rail people, that it is not the place to have it. The solution is - and this is what we are working with the precinct people on - to look at better ways of getting tourist access and making it obvious how to get access to the railway station. That is going to be the best solution.
I am sorry to all of those who thought we were going to have to access across the track. I am disappointed that, currently, we have people in danger because they are breaking down the temporary fencing and wandering across, but it is not an optimum place to be crossing the track. What we will do is have signage. We have landscaping that makes what is a very attractive facility now even more attractive to tourists.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this has been an impassioned issue. I pay tribute to those who are in the Adelaide River region who actually run the Adelaide River Precinct. They do a great job. What they have on display there and the way they are using the old station is certainly of great tourism benefit and the local people are very proud of it.
The issue of how tourists and visitors access the precinct has been one that has been there ever since the railway line was built. There has been quite a lot of discussion and correspondence, and I have had my relevant agency and the operator of the rail, FreightLink, look at the issue. It seemed like a sensible thing to have that access but, when you look at some of the technical aspects of it, the gradient, the curve - there is probably another technical term here - of the track as it comes into that area, my best advice is - and I have tested this a number of times - it is not appropriate to have a crossing at that point. It is not appropriate.
Let me assure the member that I have tested this a number of times. The response has come back, both from FreightLink and my rail people, that it is not the place to have it. The solution is - and this is what we are working with the precinct people on - to look at better ways of getting tourist access and making it obvious how to get access to the railway station. That is going to be the best solution.
I am sorry to all of those who thought we were going to have to access across the track. I am disappointed that, currently, we have people in danger because they are breaking down the temporary fencing and wandering across, but it is not an optimum place to be crossing the track. What we will do is have signage. We have landscaping that makes what is a very attractive facility now even more attractive to tourists.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016