Mount Gambier Bus Service

Mr BELL (Mount Gambier) (15:39): I rise today to talk about the Mount Gambier bus service, and it is quite timely that today the report of the Auditor-General was tabled in parliament on regional bus service contracts phase 1. I will certainly be looking at that closely because the Mount Gambier city bus service is totally inadequate. The procurement process that was undertaken does not service our needs. It is pretty much a complete duplication of what we had before and reports that I have had are that the tenderers were not able to put in variations to an existing route or financial arrangements that would have better served the people of Mount Gambier.

In 2021, as the existing contract approached, the Mount Gambier city council conducted a thorough evaluation of the Mount Gambier public bus service. The purpose was to communicate to the state government the shortcomings in the current service. The report highlighted the vital need for effective public transport within the city and its surroundings, urging substantial changes to the government-funded service. At the time, the routes had remained unchanged for well over 30 years.

The review also revealed such issues as the inadequate servicing of crucial facilities, such as the Mount Gambier hospital and Foodbank, and restricted service hours hindering access to employment and education, as well as prolonged wait times at stops and a lack of service to our growing residential areas.

After lengthy delays, the new eight-year contract was announced in August last year and, believe it or not, remains identical to the one that was in place for the previous 30 years. A majority of the housing developments that have been established in the last 30 to 40 years are not taken into consideration. Well over 2,000 homes and 5,000 residents are located in the north-east corner of Mount Gambier and there is not one bus service that services this area.

The new $63 million Wulanda recreation centre is a fantastic new addition to our city for both locals and visitors. Again, there is not one bus service to this area. Foodbank is a vital service for many of our most vulnerable residents in and around Mount Gambier. The closest bus stop requires a 1.5-kilometre round trip walk. Residents from our two largest retirement communities must endure a lengthy walk to reach the closest bus stop, which is impractical for many of them.

We have seen the state government invest $55 million into building a new technical college and upgrading our local TAFE facilities. Unfortunately, with the first bus of the day not leaving until 9am, we may see many students running late to class.

Simply put, our current service has not been fit for purpose for many years, let alone for the next eight years that this contract is expected to see out. In 2022, Bus SA released a report titled 'An investigation of regional public transport spend in Australia'. It exposed a stark contrast in public transport spend between metropolitan and regional residents in South Australia, as $221 is spent per head for metropolitan residents, compared to just $40 for those living in our regions.

If our regions are to grow and grow at a more rapid pace, we need further investment to ensure all residents have everyday access to essential services, as well as employment, entertainment and social activities, something that our current Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 service in Mount Gambier does not provide.

In contrast to other states and territories, South Australia lacks a standard service commitment for regional centres. I draw comparison to the Victorian town of Stawell with a population of just 8,500 people. Their bus runs six days a week, with a weekday start time of 7am and the last run finishing at 6.15pm. The new like-for-like contract for Mount Gambier is yet another example of government not listening to regional communities. We need to find a solution that fits our less densely populated areas.