MANNUM FERRY

Mr VENNING (Schubert) (12:47): I move:

That this house—

(a) condemns the Rann Labor government for its total inaction for not restoring the closed upstream ferry services at Mannum to at least a 12 tonne carrying capacity; and

(b) notes the inconvenience that the community has experienced having to drive 30 kilometres to the nearest bridge when the downstream ferry is closed.

I do not like being continually negative but this is another matter that causes me much concern—and the member for Enfield also mentioned this issue. I have a meeting at Mannum tonight, so this is very appropriate, as is having the Mayor of Murray Bridge present in the gallery. He would understand perfectly what this is all about.

The upstream ferry at Mannum was closed indefinitely in December 2007, which is nearly a year ago. No action has been forthcoming from the government regarding reinstating the service. Yes, a ferry working group has been established, but really all people want to hear is that ferries will be working and ensuring that they have access across the river, especially as we approach Christmas. The safety of local residents should be paramount and should be the government's priority, but the inaction by the government shows that it is not.

On many occasions, the remaining operating downstream ferry at Mannum has been out of operation, closed for routine maintenance or emergency repairs, during which time the residents are left with no option but to travel the 60 kilometre round trip to reach the other side of the river. I ask the house to think of the ramifications of that; that is, having to travel 60 kilometres, when it is only 200 metres across the river.

What happens if a medical emergency occurs on the eastern side of Mannum across the river from the township and the ferry is out of action for repairs? There has been one fatality, but it cannot be directly attributed to the delays with the one operating ferry. I raise it, but I will not use it, although it was raised with me. This person did die, but the situation could have been worse. In this instance it was sad, but it could not be directly attributed to the ferry delay, although it could have been if it had not been working.

Local businesses have reported a 15 per cent downturn in their takings since the closure. The waiting time for cars to cross the river at Mannum peaked last year at nearly one hour. I wonder how long the wait will be this year and whether the tourists will simply stay away.

A couple of months ago, a school bus became stuck on the downstream ferry. The driver was unable to get the bus off the ferry due to its weight and the low river levels, and the bus was stuck for 45 minutes before it was able to be moved. So, for that 45 minutes, no-one at all could get across the river at any point.

I have also had many farmers and a couple of people in the freight business (grain carters) contact my office to express their concerns about having only one ferry in operation at Mannum, particularly at grain harvest time. I think they are going to have more grain this year, which is encouraging and I am pleased about that, but it does not help this problem. If trucks are lining up to use the ferry, the wait for cars is increased. I believe only one truck at a time is permitted on the ferry, but this still minimises the number of cars that can fit on the ferry.

A rumour is going around Mannum today that the Swan Reach ferry, which is having its landings modified (and that may already have been completed by today) will be going to Mannum to be swapped with the upstream Mannum ferry. As with the longer landings, the upgraded Swan Reach ferry would be able to dock safely, even with the low water levels at Mannum.

Today, my office contacted the regional manager for the department of transport, Mr John Whelan, and asked whether he could shed any light on these rumours so that I might give my constituents and this house that advice. Mr Whelan said that he could not comment on the rumours unless I went through the minister or media adviser. We have heard that before, haven't we?

However, he did say that the new steel ferry at Cadell had been moved to Walker Flat so that the weight restrictions imposed at Walker Flat could be lifted, and I certainly welcome that. He went on to say that the department is investigating options to make sure all ferries along the river are operational. I understand that, but why has it taken so long? Compared with other expenses, such as $131 million for the tramline extension, we are looking at a maximum of $300,000 or $400,000 to ensure the ferry infrastructure. It is ridiculous.

I have been slagging ministers this morning, at the invitation of the government. I have mentioned a few, and I have named the five dud ministers. Well, in this instance, it is the Hon. Patrick Conlon, the Minister for Transport—and he is not one of the dud ministers. In his dealings with me, the Hon. Pat Conlon is professional, although I often do not agree with what he does, his inaction and the 'Fix it, Pat' business. I own the cap that we wear in those comic strips.

However, in this instance, I believe this minister does try and he does listen. So, I will never give up on him. I am pleading with the Minister for Transport to hear my plea. I know that when he is this house he would never agree with me, but I know that behind the scenes he will do all he can to help. He has done that not only with the ferry but he also did it with the deep sea port. As I have said on the record before, he got it right, and I hope he gets this right. When we open that new port some accolades will be given, and I will give them to him, because he has put the port in the right place.

Minister, please hear my plea. I hope these rumours are correct that this ferry can be put back into operation before Christmas, because the population of Mannum triples during the Christmas break, and the demand on this ferry is huge. If that ferry could be operating, say, by 10 to 15 December, I will be very, very pleased. I am not giving up. I hope the rumours are right, and I urge this house to support this motion.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (12:54): I rise to support this motion from the member for Schubert, because most of our electorates are joined, and a lot of that is by ferry. It is sad that, in these days of low river flows, ferries have gone out of action, as this one has at Mannum, creating a major issue for that town and for people wanting to get to the eastern side to the wonderful seat of Hammond or for people in the electorate of Hammond wanting to get over to the electorate of Schubert. As the member for Schubert rightly said, it was a great tragedy that a lady died trying to get to the Mannum Hospital by ferry. I believe she had prior knowledge of her medical complaint. I do not think the ferry was entirely to blame, but the hold-up would not have helped. I believe she was a young mother—is that correct?

Mr Venning: 32.

Mr PEDERICK: She was 32, with a young family. Ferries right up and down the river have had severe impacts from lack of water and a lack of government attention. I remember going to a meeting at Mannum—and I take my hat off to the transport people from the department who turned up, because they were sent there and told not to say anything. I wish they had just said something so the community could work out why they could not speak.

The minister did not show up, nor did a colleague or another member from the other side. I hate being at a meeting and having a go at departmental people who are just doing their job. They would have made life a lot easier for themselves, because this community has, quite frankly, run out of time. This meeting was months ago. They were expressing their disquiet and the simple fact is that they were just asking simple questions like, 'Where would the river level drop to and how much water would the river have in it when the ferry remaining in service at Mannum runs out of service?' These people are genuinely concerned. Again, it is out of the urban boundaries of Adelaide, and this is the nub of the problem: it gets neglected.

I go around this state, and through the city, and I meet so many business people—Labor staffers, in fact, who have holiday homes—and people of all political persuasions who need access to these ferries, especially the Mannum ferry. It has a huge impact on tourism. It has a huge impact on grain carting—we are just coming into harvest. It just cuts out the options for already stressed primary producers.

I think it is disgraceful that the minister hides in this place, or in Adelaide, and sends out his departmental people. To their credit, they stood by his direction and did not give an answer, but I can assure you that they copped a hiding at that meeting. In the end, I got to make a point. I said that I believed the river would drop another 602 to maybe 800 millimetres—.8 of a metre maximum—before it would run out of service. I do not have the full resources of a department, or several departments, in regard to this matter, but that is where I believe it may end up with worst-case scenarios. We have noticed this inaction right along the river. The upstream ferry ran out of service—'Oh, we'll just use the downstream one.'

I do not want to be completely critical. The government recognised that, with only one ferry, it needed to make it an optimal operation, so it put two operators on board to make sure that, while one is getting the cars on board, the other one is at the other end ready to take off. I give credit to the government for that, but it is not enough to sustain a community. Businesses throughout the town have said that they have suffered losses of up to 20 or 30 per cent, notwithstanding the present financial crisis.

Residents in Mannum have to travel either to Murray Bridge or upstream to Blanchetown if they want to use the bridge, and it is just not right—especially for emergency services and fires. We are looking at another dry summer coming up, and where will we be then when fire units and ambulances cannot get across in time to assist the community?

With those few words I commend the motion moved by the member for Schubert. It certainly affects my electorate; it affects many people just in their daily lives, and my sympathies are certainly with the family of the lady who died recently. The community does need more support, right up and down the river. It is one thing to say, 'Let the river go,' but it is another when local people are involved.

Mr O'BRIEN (Napier) (13:01): I stand to oppose the motion, and will make further comment later. I seek leave to continue my remarks.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.

[Sitting suspended from 13:02 to 14:00]