Rail Signal Failures

Mr WINGARD (Mitchell) (14:26): My question is to the Minister for Transport. Given that there have been at least 12 signal failures in the past two months on the train network that I know of, and given that last night's failure caused more turmoil for commuters during the peak hour, plus the associated safety concerns, can the minister tell the house when the signal failures will be fixed?

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister Assisting the Minister for Planning, Minister Assisting the Minister for Housing and Urban Development) (14:27): I thank the member for Mitchell for that Dorothy Dixer. I would like to advise the house of the $12 million which the Treasurer has provided in his most recent state budget to address ongoing signalling issues across the rail network. (We had better check with the Whip about that DD.) While it has been an ongoing priority for the Labor government since 2008 to invest in a significant improvement, electrification and extension of the rail network, that work is not yet complete.

While there have been significant upgrades across the network, we will continue to improve not just the number and quality of services, as we have done on the Seaford line, but the infrastructure which supports those services. It is, as the member for Mitchell highlights, deeply concerning, not just to the government but most of all to the commuters, that there are from time to time interruptions to services caused by equipment failures and that is why $12 million ($6 million a year for the next two years) is being provided in the Treasurer's most recent budget to address these issues.