SOUTH COAST PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (12:54): I move:

That this house condemns the Rann government for failing to provide regular public transport services between Adelaide and the South Coast, particularly Goolwa, Middleton, Port Elliot and Victor Harbor.

This is an issue that I have raised before in this place, and it is an issue that will continue to be raised. Indeed, it is interesting to note that in the last couple of days the Hon. Dennis Hood, in the other place, moved a motion on public transport more generally concerning regional South Australia. In that he has included my own electorate, incorporating the desire to renew a rail service to Victor Harbor.

Whilst I have not had a discussion with the Hon. Mr Hood about this issue, I would just make a few points on the rail service in relation to my motion. The rail service which used to operate between Adelaide and Victor Harbor finished, as I understand it, in around about 1982. Since that time we have had the Steam Ranger operating from Mount Barker to Victor Harbor. My understanding is that the line is not in a terribly good condition and that it would probably take a substantial amount of money to upgrade it.

I have done a bit of research on the time that it used to take to travel and I have discovered that it took around about three hours to travel between Adelaide and Victor Harbor on those services when they concluded in the early 1980s. Whilst I am not dismissing in any way, shape or form the Hon. Mr Hood's ideas, and would like to have discussions and explore it further, I am not so sure that in this instance the cost of re-establishing a rail service on that corridor would be financially achievable. However, it is good to have it raised and it is good for us to go through having a discussion in the parliament about that and the other services that the Hon. Mr Hood has put together.

It could be that we would be able to build a different rail system through to the South Coast. It could be that we could run one down through the south, through Noarlunga, find a new track through there and put in a fast light rail through to the South Coast. The reason I say that is because the lack of regular public transport between the city of Adelaide and the South Coast is causing a great deal of concern to a lot of my constituents.

I have quite a number of elderly constituents in my electorate who do not like to drive. I think it is blatantly obvious to everyone that we do have our fair share of accidents on the Adelaide to Victor Harbor Road and, of course, those people who enter that road coming in from Goolwa and other places. I think, quite fairly to those older members of the community who do not want to drive, it is something of a challenge for them to get in their own vehicles and come to Adelaide.

The only alternative is the Premier Stateline buses, which does operate a service, but that also takes quite some time and goes to numerous other places on the way through. While it does fulfil part of the need, it is not the easiest thing in the world to accommodate. So, the whole means of transport between here and the South Coast is something that needs to be discussed in this place.

I have been to see minister Conlon on this matter and have had discussions and a briefing on it. The minister has indicated that the government will not be putting a brass razoo above what it is putting currently, which is not very much, into establishing public transport links between here and the South Coast. I think that is a smack in the face to the residents of that area.

There is a social justice issue involved here, wherein the residents of the greater metropolitan area of Adelaide have a regular, and rickety in many cases, public transport system, and I think we are seeing evidence of that in the media, the print press and everything else, just lately. So, it is distinctly uncomfortable what is happening. However, there are a few more people.

This government seems to stop at Gepps Cross, the Toll Gate and Darlington. It does not seem to care what happens outside of that area. It has dismissed the people of the south and, accordingly, the people in my electorate. We have a considerable number of pensioners down there and a large retiree population.

Some of the retired population have their own resources and are financially quite well off. There are growing numbers of others, however, who are aged pensioners on the government pension, who do not have very much money at all and who struggle to make ends meet. The cost of fuel is creating a great deal of impost on them. There is not much public transport within the South Coast area, and all credit to my councils down in that area who are working on a course of action to deliver some (albeit limited) public transport services to the people in my electorate.

Debate adjourned.

[Sitting suspended from 13:00 to 14:00]