Mount Gambier Public Transport

Mr BELL (Mount Gambier) (14:45): My question is to the Minister for Transport. Can the minister inform the community of Mount Gambier when the bus contract will be announced and whether it includes any extra funding?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:45): I can inform the house that LinkSA is the new contractor for the Mount Gambier region and they commence services this Sunday. In relation to the funding envelope, obviously funding is indexed and we do all we can to try to provide as many services as we can to regional South Australians.

I know that the member is a staunch advocate and fierce advocate for more services in Mount Gambier. It is no surprise to anyone in this house that he has been in my ear and the previous government's ear about increasing services in Mount Gambier, especially public transport. There are a lot of legacy services in Mount Gambier that probably aren't fit for purpose today, and there needs to be a comprehensive look at how we deal with those. I look forward to working with the member about those.

The member has also raised with me a very important issue that is dear to his heart and many regional members, that is, why the Seniors Card exemption does not exist in regional South Australia, and that is a very good question. The reason there is not free public transport for seniors in regional South Australia is because there is a different contracting fare structure in regional areas.

The regional contracts are heavily subsidised. Regional operators also retain the fare revenue, as opposed to here in Adelaide. Therefore, if we mandated free public transport for seniors in the regions, this would impact on the total fare collection that they have already factored in and could make a lot of those services a lot more vulnerable and susceptible to not being commercially even affordable. That would put a huge burden on those regional communities and South Australia. We do a fair bit of subsidising.

That next step, I completely understand members calling concern. I can see our own regional MPs looking at me quite concerned about this as well. It is an issue and I accept that it is an issue. I know the advocacy of members on the crossbench over this has been quite fierce. I am going to ask the department to consider this perceived inequity between regional communities and metropolitan communities, have a look at it and do what we can and come back to the house with a more considered answer to the member's question. I thank him for his advocacy.