House of Assembly: Thursday, September 26, 2013

Contents

NOARLUNGA RAILWAY LINE

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:36): A further supplementary, if I may. Minister, prior to the advice that you received pursuant to the review which, as you have explained, was the first time you became aware that there had been any delay in the service reopening, when was the last time prior to that that you visited anywhere along the Noarlunga train line upgrade that was being undertaken?

The Hon. C.C. FOX (Bright—Minister for Transport Services, Minister Assisting the Minister for the Arts) (14:36): First of all just as a piece of background, I would like to say that I answer this question as a resident, not as an engineer and not as someone who has an understanding, for example, of a signalling system or technicalities. In answer to your question, when did I last visit a site, I actually live on the Noarlunga railway line just one back, so I think we can safely say that I see it every day and I cross it every day.

The activities that occur on my particular stretch of line may not be occurring on another, so what is indicative of the stretch of line I see is not necessarily indicative of what is occurring on the rest of it. If the member for Bragg is suggesting that I should be walking every 37 kilometres of the Seaford line every day, that does seem to be slightly peculiar. Obviously I have a deep interest in the Noarlunga line which is both political and personal.