YALATA BUS SERVICE

The Hon. C.V. SCHAEFER (15:09): I seek leave to make an explanation before asking the Minister for Road Safety a question on the Yalata bus service.

Leave granted.

The Hon. C.V. SCHAEFER: I have a publication, entitled TheAnangu Lands Paper Tracker, which is a computer-generated news sheet by and for the Anangu communities. The article states:

The need for the Yalata community to have access to safe, reliable and affordable public transport is long-standing and well-documented. In March 2005, the Federal Government funded a six-month trial of a weekly bus service operating between Yalata and Ceduna. Additional state funding allowed the service to operate for another year. Since December 2006, the people of Yalata have not had access to any regular public transport to and from Ceduna.

In 1997, a South Australian report into 'Aboriginal road safety issues'—

and we all know that the percentage of Aboriginals involved in road accidents is disproportionate to the percentage of the population—

highlighted the pressing need for people living in Yalata to have access to appropriate transport services when journeying to and from Ceduna to reduce the risk of drink driving and pedestrian injury.

According to the report, the significant distance between the two communities—around two hundred kilometres—encourages people to take whatever transport options are available to them no matter how unsafe or unreliable they may be.

The report continues:

The provision of a community bus service would ensure a safer alternative mode of transport for people...to access medical, shopping, entertainment and other facilities not available in the remote communities. Such a service may also prevent intoxicated pedestrians from being hit by passing motor vehicles while attempting to walk home along major roads and reduce the need for community members to purchase the cheap vehicles that are so often unroadworthy.

The saga has gone on since that time, with a six-month trial being funded by the then federal government and a further 12 months funded by the state government. A review done at that time states that the service was a major success. However, since December 2006 it has stopped, despite repeated appeals by the member for Flinders and the Yalata Community Council.

At various times they have been assured by the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs that the bus is in need of some repairs (and, frankly, it would be by now, because it has been in dock for 18 months). They have also been assured that police will trial the presence of a community constable on the bus service and that they are working on longer-term co-ordinated solutions for a range of challenging areas on Eyre Peninsula, including the Yalata bus service.

However, they have not been provided with a bus, nor have they been provided with any explanation of why the service is no longer funded. I realise that this is a broad question but, in my view, it certainly falls under the umbrella of road safety, particularly for the people of Yalata. My question is: can the minister provide or obtain a report on why funding for the service has ceased in spite of its success?

The PRESIDENT: The honourable member's explanation was fairly broad, too.

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (15:14): I thank the honourable member for her question in relation to a community bus service for Yalata. I certainly have a great interest in the matter raised by the member, because of the road safety concerns she has expressed. I am not the minister responsible for bus services, but I will undertake to raise the issue with my colleague in the other place (Minister for Transport), as well as the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, and bring back a report to the honourable member.

I was pleased to visit Yalata last week and have a chat with the administrator and community members. The issue was not raised with me but, as I said, I will undertake to get some information for the honourable member and bring back a response. Underneath the Road Safety Advisory Council we have an Aboriginal Road Safety Task Force established as well, so that is another avenue for me to follow up.