Labor has now committed over half a billion dollars to building new tram lines if it wins next month’s South Australian election, with an extension to North Adelaide announced by Premier Jay Weatherill on Monday.
The $259 million pledged by Labor on Monday would extend Adelaide’s tram network north, along King William Road and O’Connell Street, and would include four new stops at Adelaide Oval, the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Archer Street, and Piccadilly Cinema.
It would form the first part of the ProspectLINK portion of the Labor Party’s AdeLINK tram network expansion program.
“Not only will this project create construction jobs, but reinvigorate O’Connell Street, helping to attract more visitors and investment, boost economic activity and encourage urban renewal,” Weatherill said.
The commitment follows a similar $279 million pledge made on Sunday by Weatherill, to build EastLINK, a three-kilometre extension east to Norwood. EastLINK would include five new stops.
Together the two projects would come to $538 million in spending on five kilometres of tram network, and nine new stops.
Liberal leader Steven Marshall, whose electorate would benefit from Labor’s EastLINK plan, said Labor would not be able to deliver on its light rail promises, and said the Liberal Party would not match them.
“The people of Norwood do not support a tram out to Norwood,” he said. “They like the street the way that it is with their street trees. They will be absolutely destroyed; parking will be destroyed; traffic will be disrupted.”
Marshall was not opposed to extending the network at least as far as Adelaide Oval, however.
“We think there is much more logic to at least take the tram at least up to Adelaide Oval,” he said. “Stopping it where it is at the moment is just embarrassing.”
The Liberals are yet to outline their public transport policy, saying it will come closer to election day.
Labor’s policy also includes the removal of seven level crossings in the Adelaide region, and the construction of a deepwater port on the Spencer Gulf. It also includes $11 million to build a new train station on the Tonsley line between Tonsley and Clovelly Park stations.
South Australians head to the polls on March 17.
With a strong early showing from the new SA Best party led by Nick Xenephon, a hung parliament is likely. Marshall has ruled out doing a deal with Xenephon, but Weatherill has not ruled out his options.