Public Transport

Dr HARVEY (Newland) (15:22): My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Can the minister please update the house on the how the Marshall Liberal government is making public transport more accessible and creating jobs by building what matters in the north-east?

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD (Gibson—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (15:22): I thank the member for Newland for his question and note firsthand the great work that he is doing and that the Marshall Liberal government is doing with him to make public transport more accessible for residents, especially those in the north-eastern suburbs. I acknowledge the strong advocacy of the member for Newland and the member for King in their local areas and the work that they do in trying to improve public transport in their area, in particular along the O-Bahn and the great impact that the O-Bahn has on the local residents out there in their community to get them where they need to go.

Of course, the O-Bahn, a great Liberal innovation, which was initiated by the Tonkin government back in the early 1980s, has now grown to be one of the most popular pieces of public transport and the most popular public transport corridor, with tens of thousands of Adelaidean commuters using that service every day. The Marshall government is continuing to contribute better services through the record investment of $17.9 billion to improve our state's infrastructure and we are very proud of that.

I did hear the member for Lee over there and I am sure he is blushing because he wishes he had the $8.8 billion that we are spending on public transport and road infrastructure projects over the next four years, but unfortunately he doesn't and he can't deliver that. Instead, those opposite provided a failing public transport system where patronage decreased in their last couple of terms that they were there. In their time, I should say, in government—

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Minister, a moment please. The member for Playford can leave for half an hour.

The honourable member for Playford having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: As I was explaining before I was rudely interrupted there, public transport patronage data—and we know that more people used public transport 10 years ago than when the former Labor government left office. That is a real shame.

I note the member asked about how we are making public transport more accessible for the people of the north-east, and I have plenty to talk about there. I was fortunate to recently visit the north-east and meet the member for Newland, and we travelled around his wonderful electorate. I caught the O-Bahn out there and was there in a flash. It was a really great trip and making the journey from the city to Tea Tree Plaza was wonderful. Along the way, of course, we saw the Paradise park-and-ride that has already been built and the site for the new Tea Tree Plaza park-and-ride as well that the Marshall government is building, and we are excited by that.

The new park-and-ride will provide 400 spaces for O-Bahn commuters, bringing the total number of spaces available for commuters to more than 1,100. While those opposite are making a lot of hot air about parking at TTP, we are just getting on with the job of building more car parks there and helping the cars get off the neighbouring side streets. They are happy for them to be in the side streets; we are building more car parks. It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the member for King and the advocacy she has for her community.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Your time has expired, minister. Thank you.