South Australia’s latest State Budget is out, but figures in the freight industry say their pressing needs have been ignored.

The South Australian Freight Council (SAFC) says a lack of a proper debate on infrastructure funding and tollraods in particular meant they were left out.

Both the SAFC and the SA Road Transport Association were looking to discuss a properly focused funding strategy to meet the state’s growing transport needs.

SAFC CEO Neil Murphy says South Australia’s ardent push to fix shortfalls from reduced Federal spending has diverted its attention.

“The crisis may actually lay in lost opportunities – what doesn’t get built because of the cuts,” Murphy said.

He says SA may have moved too early and not gained enough from recent privatisations, especially now that a specila fund has been set up to reward states that sell their assets.

“The Commonwealth Government may offer to fund infrastructure improvements but unless the State has available funds to provide its contribution, be that 20 per cent or 50 per cent, the project cannot proceed,” Mr Murphy said.

“How will South Australia pay for the upgrade to the North-South corridor (which the PM has stated he wants completed over the next 10 years) if funds are diverted to schools and hospitals?

“South Australia has limited remaining assets to sell so we will have difficulty accessing the Commonwealth’s asset recycling funding offer of 15 per cent (which I assume would be in addition to the usual 50/50 or 80/20 deals that Governments enter into – otherwise that is also a shift of funding responsibility to the States).

“The issues associated with the State’s finances are well documented and coupled with the looming closure of Holden and recent announcements around companies such as Penrice, we will need to invest in infrastructure that improves productivity and economic development.

“The North-South corridor and projects that can assist development in the mining sector (eg: sealing of Strzelecki Track, facilitating port developments etc) can assist in this regard but we will need money to build them.

“Tolls may need to be discussed and this time in a meaningful way,” he said.