Martin Hamilton-Smith MP has been seeking public release of information under the Freedom of Information Act 1991 for over a year.

 

“My appeals to the Ombudsman have resulted in a determination this week that reverses the Government’s decision to keep the safety information secret.  The next step may be legal action in the District Court,” Mr Hamilton-Smith said.

 

“The Ombudsman said in his determination just released:

 

“It is therefore my view that the Agency has not discharged its onus in justifying that parts of the bridge inspection reports are exempt from disclosure; and subject to appeal, the full 22 documents should be released.  This includes photographs.”

 

“This is a significant issue of public safety and a major setback for the Government’s refusal to be honest and open about the condition of this vital infrastructure.

 

“The Government’s own definition of bridges in ‘poor’ condition is ‘Bridges with significant defects, still functioning as designed but assessed as needing major rehabilitation or replacement within ten years’.

 

“Information so far obtained reveals specific faults include construction joint concerns, beam barriers, cracking, missing bolts, pavement bleeding, chipping, girders with shear cracks, faulty piers, corroded pedestrian barriers and corroded bearings.

 

“Locations include metropolitan areas and country regions in particular the north and west of the state.  But the Government is still refusing to tell me exact locations.

 

“The information so far obtained reveals that some of the bridges were initially designed as far back as 1907, with some being more recent constructions.

 

“The 22 suspect bridges I have so far identified include railway bridges, floodways, bridges over water courses and underpasses.

 

“The Government is evasive as to whether reinspection or remedial action has been taken on some of these inspection reports which date back to 2002 and is also keeping secret other documents relating to the condition of the bridges which are not bridge reports and which may reveal the Government’s failure to act on repairs or replacement.

 

“I’ve demanded to know the location of the 22 bridges and more detail of the structural flaws or failures identified by engineers.  Now the Ombudsman has agreed with my request and ruled against the Government pursuant to section 39 (11) of the FOI Act.

 

“We don’t know, because the Government is keeping it a secret, where these bridges are.

 

“It could be the Morphett St Bridge, the Albert Bridge near the zoo, it could be any bridge along the Princes Highway, the Sturt Highway or any rural or regional road.  We just don’t know.  It’s a Government secret.

 

“Parents taking their kids to school, truck drivers and tradespeople might be using alternative routes if the information was made public.  They have a right to know.

 

“There have been spectacular bridge collapses in the past, including the Tasman Bridge collapse in 1975, the Granville Bridge collapse in 1977 in which 83 people were killed and 213 injured and the Westgate Bridge in 1970 in which 35 workers lost their lives, and the more recent Hunter Valley footbridge collapse  and the Somerton Bridge collapse in New South Wales.

 

“If bridges and roads aren’t maintained people lose their lives as we saw when a family of five was killed in 2007 whilst driving along the Old Pacific Highway in New South Wales when the road collapsed and their car plunged into a flooded creek below.

 

“If ever there was a justified use of the Freedom of Information Act, this is it.  The public interest is served by the Government releasing the location of these 22 bridges and the extent of the disrepair or damage to them. 

 

“Not only that but we need to know if and when they are being monitored and when the bridges will be fixed by the Government. 

 

“The 2008-09 Budget Papers reveal the Government underspent on upgrade/replacement of bridges on the metropolitan rail network by around 50 per cent.

 

“The Budget Papers also reveal that the Government underspent by $15 million on the maintenance and operation of road and bridge infrastructure.

 

“Are these bridges not being fixed because of the $750 million Government budget cuts being sought by Labor through the Sustainable Budget Review Commission?

 

“The public of SA needs to know why there is a cover up.  There is no plausible excuse for keeping this information secret.  Is it just that the Government has been caught out and cannot explain the reasons for its inaction on this important public safety issue?

 

“I will not give up on this until the people of South Australia have answers.”