BAROSSA VALLEY PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Mr VENNING (Schubert) (15:38): I rise today to speak on a topic that I have raised countless times in this house previously. Despite raising the issue time and again, it is still one of extreme importance and relevance, particularly to those people in the electorate of Schubert.

Despite the Barossa being one of the state's most attractive tourist destinations, there still remains a significant shortage of affordable public transport options for people to get to and from the Barossa and travel within the region. Affordable public transport options are almost nonexistent. Yes, we have a bus service, but my argument is that, because this is an independent service, fees are not subsidised as highly as metro fees are.

Currently, the bus service is provided by Link SA, a commercial company that receives no government subsidy. To travel return from Angaston to Gawler is $14.40 for an adult ticket or $7.20 for a concession ticket. That is one way. The fare from Nuriootpa is $11.80 adult or $5.90 concession, and from Tanunda it is $10.30 adult and $5.20 concession. I am advised that these prices are about to increase, too. On top of this, many of these services are only operational on school days, as they are primarily used as a school bus but are open to the public.

I cannot understand why the state Labor government cannot subsidise this service more, like they do in other regional areas. Why not extend the Metroticket service from Gawler to the Barossa? People would be able to catch a connecting bus service to the Barossa from the train service in Gawler, which would be good. Perhaps one or more of the empty buses that currently do laps of Gawler—thanks to their member, the member for Light (Hon. Mr Piccolo)—could instead service the Barossa.

These bus routes were obviously not demand tested. They appear to be one of the most underutilised services I have seen—empty buses and empty bus stops. Why not put them to good use and extend the service to the Barossa, where, I know for a fact, people will use the service? At least let's trial it and let the numbers speak for themselves. I personally know that people of the Barossa support a public service, and so do I.

What I fail to understand is how an area such as the Adelaide Hills can have access to an impressive public service with Metro buses, yet in the Barossa we have no such luxury. When I compare the Adelaide Hills to the Barossa, there is not a lot of difference. We might be a little further from the CBD, geographically speaking, but there are many locations that are actually equidistant from the CBD that have Metroticket services; Strathalbyn, for instance, is not much closer than Tanunda.

Traditionally, public services are not in place to make money. Every time I raise this issue, I hear the argument of profitability and that there is no money to be made in providing a public transport service to, from and within the Barossa. What about the services offered in Gawler? Do they make a profit? The city-centric government has lost sight of what is important to these people outside the metro boundary.

People in rural areas are doing it tough, and adequate provision for public transport is essential. The services need to be there for those who need them most and they need to be affordable. The lack of public transport is an issue that is always at the forefront of concerns for my constituents. I have been in this house for nearly 23 years and I am still singing the same tune I was then.

I implore this government to recognise and acknowledge the Barossa's lack of public transport and encourage them to start making the important move forward to begin taking the necessary steps to set things right. Really, this is quite discriminatory. When are all the people going to be treated the same? We have a rail line linking the Barossa's main towns and only one stone train a day. There is plenty of scope to run a railcar between the towns, even if we cannot have a train running to Gawler.

Just briefly, I received a letter yesterday from The Advertiser. Can I say, all my life I have been able to walk down to my gate and pick up The Advertiser. Here we have a notice saying that the service will not be continuing right across the state because of laws we have passed in this place. It is an absolute disgrace. You are taking away a service from people, particularly in Giles; these people will not have access to a paper. Some of them will have to drive 30 k to get a newspaper.

It is all right for me: I live 2 k from town but what about those people who live 10 k from town? They say that because of work safety practices now and under occ. health and safety, their contractors will no longer provide the service. That is an absolute disgrace. This is absolutely discriminatory. It is a service we have taken for granted, and I think it is totally ridiculous. You will hear a lot more about this, because I have only just got this letter.