Ellis attempts to force action at Buckland Park

In the latest in a series of attempts to have the signalled intersection at Buckland Park upgraded, Member for Narungga Fraser Ellis yesterday moved a motion in the Parliament calling for urgent action to return traffic along the National Highway to a free flow model.

“The sheer number of people, especially those who drive heavy vehicles, who have contacted me about the inconvenience and silliness of having traffic lights on the National Highway at the Buckland Park intersection is evidence that it needs to change,” he said.

“I have repeatedly tried to convince those with the power to make decisions in the last two Governments that improvements must occur at this intersection but to no avail. So much money has already been wasted and it is difficult to understand why at Port Wakefield there is an overpass installed to improve traffic flow yet at Buckland Park traffic lights that stop traffic flow are installed.”

Mr Ellis’s Motion moved that the House:

1. Acknowledges the extraordinary inconvenience placed on motorists thanks to the installation of the traffic lights on Port Wakefield Road at Buckland Park;
2. Notes that the Buckland Park intersection boasts the only set of traffic lights between Port Adelaide and Port Augusta;
3. Recognises that the traffic lights undermine the good work by successive governments in improving traffic flow along the North South Corridor; and
4. Requests an immediate upgrade to the Buckland Park intersection to reverse this short-sighted decision and return traffic to a free flow model

“Unfortunately, the Government amended the motion and removed point c) and in point d) deleted the references to immediacy thus undermining its intent.

“My understanding is that, in the agreement with the developer, provision exists for the installation of a ‘grade separation’ at the sale of 9,000 allotments but our community should not have to wait that long for a solution.

“Perversely, the signalised intersection might have made the intersection more dangerous despite the intent of those who agreed to it,” Mr Ellis said.

“Heavily loaded trucks having to come to a stop for traffic lights on a busy highway with little notice could well result in incidents occurring at the intersection itself – it needs to be fixed.”

Mr Ellis suggested that if the Government wants to remove the immediacy then it should at least take steps to improve the safety of the intersection.

“When the fight to stop the lights being installed was lost, our community then fought to ensure that there were warning lights installed prior to the intersection – unfortunately, those lights are flashing 24/7 thus not warning anyone of anything,” he said.

“They should be synchronised to ensure that they only start flashing on the impending change of lights, warning of an upcoming amber light, so that truck drivers can start slowing down through their gears.”

Mr Ellis appreciated the supportive speeches in the chamber from the Members for Hammond, Frome, Flinders, Unley, Heysen and McBride.

“If the Government won’t fix the intersection immediately then it must take steps to reduce the inconvenience that is driving commuters bonkers.”

The House divided on the amended Motion, and was carried as follows:

That the House:

1. Acknowledges the extraordinary inconvenience placed on motorists thanks to the installation of the traffic lights on Port Wakefield Road at Buckland Park;
2. Notes that the Buckland Park intersection boasts the only set of traffic lights between Port Adelaide and Port Augusta;
3. Requests an upgrade to the Buckland Park intersection to return traffic to a free flow model

END

View Fraser's speeches in the Chamber under the Parliament tab on this website or You Tube direct at: 

https://youtu.be/pGbjqCigBkM

and https://youtu.be/q0QY1c72vwU