Michelle Daw, Yorke Peninsula Country Times
Three damaged sections of the Upper Yorke Road between Bute and Port Broughton will be patched, thanks to a $600,000 commitment by the state government.
The sections identified for heavy patching are 15 kilometres, 23km and 28km south of Port Broughton and are scheduled for completion by the end of March, weather permitting.
Barunga West Council chief executive Maree Wauchope said the Department for Infrastructure and Transport is elsewhere also exploring improvements along Upper Yorke Road as part of a joint federal-state $168 million Road Safety Program.
“This includes funding for new regional works such as shoulder sealing, audio-tactile line markings, delineation, roadside barriers, lane/curve widening and pavement works,” she said.
“This will see regional roads where work is undertaken improved to at least a three-star safety rating level.
“The projects and locations will be determined throughout 2024, and BWC is hopeful Upper Yorke Road will be favourably considered.”
Announcement of the patching works follows years of lobbying by council and Member for Narungga Fraser Ellis, including extensive discussions, presentations to Country Cabinet when it visited Yorke Peninsula in February 2023, and direct correspondence with Premier Peter Malinauskas.
BWC mayor Leonie Kerley said council had emphasised the road’s importance as a vital link for tourism and the daily needs of local people.
“The Bute to Port Broughton section of the Upper Yorke Road serves as a vital artery connecting Adelaide to the Top of the Yorke and Mid North region,” she said.
“For the residents of Barunga West, the state of our roads is of paramount concern.
“Roads are not merely conduits for transportation; they serve as pathways to employment, education, health care, and essential services.
“They are integral to ensuring public safety, enhancing the tourism experience and fostering economic growth.”
The RAA has also lobbied for improvements to Upper Yorke Road between Port Broughton and Bute.
RAA safety and infrastructure senior manager Charles Mountain said greater infrastructure investment across the state’s road network is overdue.
“Road and infrastructure upgrades make our roads safer and can help save lives and prevent injuries,” he said.
While Member for Narungga Fraser Ellis said the funding is beneficial, he does not think heavy patching will improve the road’s long-term viability.
Mr Ellis said much more funding is needed to upgrade the stretch as well as another notorious stretch of the Upper Yorke Road, between Kulpara and Arthurton, to a safe standard.
“I don’t mean to be ungrateful but it’s not enough to do a proper job,” Mr Ellis said.
“I’m certainly not going to send the money back but I will be asking them (state government) to increase the funding.
“Why waste money on patching when you could do it properly the first time?
“We should do it once and do it properly.”
The Upper Yorke Road extends from Port Broughton to Maitland via Bute, Ninnes, Kulpara, Sunnyvale and Arthurton.
Mr Ellis, along with local residents, Barunga West Council, Yorke Peninsula Council, the RAA and Grain Producers South Australia, have lobbied strongly for much-needed improvements.
In 2023, the stretch between Kulpara and Maitland was given a one-star safety rating by the RAA, which called for at least $16m in urgent upgrades.
In late 2022, the Kulpara to Arthurton stretch was named Worst Grain Road in the state by respondents to a GPSA survey.
This article appeared in the Yorke Peninsula Country Times, 5 March 2024.
