DPTI showed again last night just how out of touch they are with the people their projects impact on. As I said in an earlier post on this blog site DPTI just don’t get it.

Last night in Cranbrook Avenue Millswood DPTI Next with residents of that street, Grantley Avenue and Arundel Avenue to discuss a gate being imposed on the residents after earlier assurances that their street would not be impacted on by the combined railway projects. Or so the residents, who called for the meeting thought.

Not so as far as DPTI’s entourage understood. They were there as part of their own going street meetings to discuss landscaping.

Never mind that the Project Manager for the Goodwood Junction Project was there, or a representative of the principal contractor for that project. Yes the landscape team was there, but at no other street meeting have the heavies been there.

The press was there prior to the meeting. And the state opposition was represented by Member for Unley David Pisoni. The candidate for Ashford, Terina Monteagle was there as was the candidate for the Federal seat of Adelaide, Carmen Garcia.

No DPTI. The meeting was called to protest the gate.

To add some poison by way of deflection we again witnessed their representatives claiming they can’t do something because Council …….. . This time, they can’t locate a pump station in a block of land acquired to construct a culvert bypass, which is part of the storm water program Council is responsible for, with 4 others.

The land was purchased by DPTI to effect installation of the bypass and intend to sell it on completion to defray the costs of the projects being constructed in this locality. They can’t use what they have acquired though because ….. Wait for it … Council owns the land.

I am sick and tired of allegations made by this department as they continue to dump council in it. We do not own the land and have not been offered it, unlike a small strip in Devon Street South.

We also saw the defence that they can’t respond to suggestions made by residents to ensure the promise made they won’t be worse off with claims of time constraints on the project and the ever reliable cost constraints. And yet the Government can add the Wayville Station development to the suite of projects just a month ago, at whatever multi millions of dollars.

Sorry but a change in Government is clearly needed if only to fix the rotten culture that exists in this Department. A culture that is the epitome of the current Governments decide & Defend policy.