Arabic version: سكان بلايفورد يطالبون بتحرك لمعالجة تزايد ازدحام الطرق
According to ABC News, residents in Adelaide’s fast-growing Playford council area have submitted more than 10,000 signatures urging the South Australian government to address traffic congestion, particularly on Curtis Road.
Playford Council said projections indicated an average of 10 people a day would move into the area over the next 20 years. The council area’s population has risen from about 71,000 in 2006 to 116,000 and is projected to reach 184,000 by 2046, using Australian Bureau of Statistics data.
Campaigners have called for dual lanes on Curtis and Womma roads, a wider Main North Road and more exit lanes on the Northern Expressway. They also raised concerns that congestion could delay emergency services, especially during bushfire season. The petition has been referred to a cross-party parliamentary committee to examine options and their feasibility.
A Playford Council motion asking the state government to pause land releases and home approvals failed five votes to seven last month. Mayor Glenn Docherty said one in five new South Australian homes built last year were in Playford and that 1,100 further allotments had development approval.
Planning Minister Nick Champion said a development freeze would cost jobs, restrict housing choices and reduce council rates that could support road upgrades. He said a new roundabout at Heaslip and Curtis roads and a train overpass on Curtis Road, together valued at $280 million, would help ease congestion.
