Train Services

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens) (14:49): My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Will there be additional cost to taxpayers, above the $2.14 billion contract price to Keolis Downer, for special event services like the Footy Express?

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD (Gibson—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:49): No. To my recollection of the contract, and I am happy to go back and check 100 per cent for the member, again, to stress the point of the way this has been set up—and I need to go over it again one more time just to be clear—the operations are being run by Keolis Downer—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the deputy leader!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —the operation and the maintenance, and that includes the PSAs of course, who do a great job. We are going to make sure that they are more outward facing and more customer focused as well. The customer service centre that he talks about will be run by the department, but the PSAs will be actually doing that outward facing work that they do on the trains and they do so well, again with that bigger customer focus.

What we need to do here is have a look at the better services that we are delivering and that's what this is all about. It's about electrifying the Gawler rail line to make sure that we can deliver better services to the people of South Australia. We are investing and we are investing heavily in that—hundreds of millions of dollars—which is creating jobs for South Australians.

We know those opposite ignored those services for a long, long time. They didn't want to do that for the people in the north, but we are delivering it.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: We are electrifying that line so that the people out there get the better services. Those opposite don't care for the people in the north. They don't care to deliver them better services. We will tell the people in Gawler that because we are delivering better services. They were ignored—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —for a long, long time. The member for Light did not care for the people of Gawler. He let that project—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader is warned.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —go on again, off again, on again, off again. We are delivering it.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister will resume his seat. The deputy leader is warned for a second time. Interjections on both sides will cease. The minister has the call.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: As I was saying, that will be delivering the electrified line out to Gawler, one that was ignored by those opposite for a long, long time. I know the people of Gawler will really appreciate it when this project is done. It's going to take some work to get there and we are working with them every step of the way. There will be some inconvenience, but they will know that we are generating jobs and building them the infrastructure they need. We are building what matters.

Conversely to that, $141 million is going into the Flinders Link line. This is again an element of the better services that we are talking about that are going—

Mr PICTON: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: The minister will resume his seat.

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the leader! The member for Kaurna on a point of order.

Mr PICTON: Standing order 98: debate. There was a very specific question in relation to payments under the contract or in addition to the contract, nothing to do with the Flinders Link extension.

The SPEAKER: I have the point of order. The minister is reminded of the specific nature of the question. The minister is also reminded that in responding he is to address the substance of the question. The minister has the call.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: Thank you, sir, and I appreciate that. The substance of the question was pointing to the better services that are going to be delivered by Keolis Downer. I can go again into the history—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —of the better services that they deliver. In concert with that, as far as those better services are concerned, we are delivering—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Reynell is warned for a second time.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: The Leader of the Opposition doesn't think the electrified rail line to Gawler is a good idea. Now I've got news for him: I think it's going to be outstanding.

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the leader!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: Keolis Downer deliver a great service, exceptional services. I have talked about Queensland, I have talked about what they have done in Melbourne and now they will be delivering it to South Australia as well. We are supplementing that with the improved trains running out to Gawler, the electrified trains which are going to be longer and better—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —and they will be able to transfer more passengers. I then talk about the Flinders Link line and they don't want to hear about that either. This is a $141 million investment. The member for Reynell doesn't want to know about this investment. She doesn't care about the jobs, but this is a time when jobs are incredibly important, so we are delivering those with a $141 million investment and the extra services. We talk about extra services and better services. Of course, we know that some 44 extra services are going to be running across the course of the week. That rolls out to something like nearly 12,000 extra trips on the Tonsley line.

When they were in government, the Tonsley line didn't even run in the evening on weekdays and didn't run on weekends. We are running it up to midnight on weekdays and then again on weekends. We are putting services back on that line because the people of that electorate, the member for Elder's electorate in particular, will truly appreciate the better services. We've got a contract that is delivering these services with Keolis Downer, who have an absolutely outstanding history. We as a government are investing money in the system to make sure we electrify the Gawler line, we extend the Flinders Link line so that it goes up to Flinders Hospital and to Flinders University as well—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —and the university students are over the moon. This is going to make it easier for Flinders University to connect with the city for students to be able to get to their lectures and the like and for nurses and doctors to get to Flinders University to do the great work that they do.