A word from our CEO
“... without the infrastructure investment we’ve called for – our roads will be more congested, less safe and travel times will balloon out.”
Adelaide is one of the world’s most liveable cities, and at RAA, we want it to stay that way. And we know most of our 820,000 members feel the same.
South Australia’s population will eclipse the two million mark by around 2031 according to State Government projections. That means we’ll have an extra 150,000 people calling SA home in the next six to seven years.
Those people will need houses, roads, public transport, hospitals, schools and a host of other infrastructure and services. Population growth has a lot of economic benefits and is a sign of a healthy, vibrant city – but it needs to be managed correctly if we’re going to retain our liveability.
As the state’s largest member-based organisation, we connect with – and act in the best interests of – more than 70 per cent of South Australian households.
That’s why recently we’ve been calling for more investment in infrastructure to support SA’s housing and population growth. We want to see greater investment in roads and public transport as our population grows – not after.
Specifically, we want extensions of the Seaford line to Aldinga and Gawler line to cater for housing developments in areas like Sellicks Beach and Concordia.
We also want to see a rail line or high-capacity bus service to cater for the approximately 60,000 people that will be living in Dry Creek and Riverlea once those developments are complete.
The State Government has released a lot of land to help address the housing crisis in SA. We fully support these land releases which will ultimately provide more housing options for our members, particularly affordable housing.
However, without the infrastructure investment we’ve called for – our roads will be more congested, less safe and travel times will balloon out. Our road network can’t absorb another 150,000 people without affecting our city and state’s liveability.
Over the coming months and even years, you’ll continue to see us advocating for greater investment in our roads and public transport network. We’ll have even more to say on this matter when we release our State Budget submission.
The investment we’re calling for won’t happen overnight. It’s going to take time for the planning work to be done and for governments to commit the required funding.
But RAA will be there every step of the way calling for the infrastructure needed so we can all live safely and sustainably in the best state in the country.
Nick Reade
RAA Chief Executive Officer
IMAGES: Getty, Mike Smith
