A Major Disaster for Majors Road

Glenthorne National Park, and the surrounding areas have developed into a green open space protected forever, where future generations will be able to connect with nature, just minutes from their homes.

Sadly, this conservation and recreation precinct is now the subject of questionable investment intentions by the Malinauskas Labor Government.

What's happening?

In stark contrast with our community’s vision for a connected conservation and recreation precinct, both state and federal Labor governments are forging ahead with an unnecessary, unwanted and destructive highway right through the heart of Glenthorne National Park.

Labor Infrastructure Minister Tom Koutsantonis with his plans for the Expressway On/Off Ramp through Glenthorne National Park.

The Facts

An on/off ramp connecting Mayors Rd to the Southern Expressway has been studied and deemed unjustifiable by infrastructure experts, as recently as a couple of years ago.

The reality is, on several fronts listed below, the $120 million project (almost certain to be closer to $200 million by now) just doesn’t stack up, that’s why it has never happened:

• Increased traffic volumes (without planned or funded additional upgrades) to Majors Road and Adams Road, despite the feasibility study outlining the need for these
• Minimal time savings for road users when compared with vast project costs
• No clear road safety benefits (in fact, significantly increased traffic volumes around Sheidow Park Primary School may well create new safety issues)
• Inevitable environmental impact within our new National Park precinct, including loss of trees and habitat
• Loss of mountain biking and walking trails
• Compromised access across the Glenthorne precinct, including the Sam Willoughby BMX park.

With the above reasons against the project, the only logical reason for Peter Malinauskas and Tom Koutsantonis to persist – despite community resistance – is perceived political gain and overwhelming arrogance.

It’s becoming more and more obvious that this project is an expensive and unnecessary political point-scoring exercise and many local people have contacted me raising their very strong concerns about this going ahead.

When our community is faced with delays and uncertainty regarding the future of the Torrens to Darlington South Road tunnels, record levels of ambulance ramping (despite a promise to ‘fix ramping’), delays to hospital upgrades (including the Flinders Medical Centre upgrade pushed out to 2029) a $70 million cut to the environment portfolio, you have to wonder what Labor's priorities are.

I’m committed to standing up for our community and our environment by getting alongside the growing number of locals from Trott Park, Sheidow Park and Hallett Cove in opposing this proposal. There's better things to do with hundreds of millions of dollars than try to buy votes with a very expensive piece of concrete!

To join our campaign to end this major madness, click this link (Protect Glenthorne) and have your say.