Overland Train Service

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (14:59): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment about the Overland train service and the cycling track to Melbourne.

Leave granted.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: I am informed by a travel agent that the government's announcement to stop in its tracks the iconic train journey from Adelaide to Melbourne by ceasing its $300,000 funding at the end of the year—which is next month—will impact their businesses and others which take hundreds of bookings from people who prefer that mode of transport for various reasons, from the cheap cost to convenience of travel, which includes pensioners, the disabled, groups going to major events, schools, older tourists and travellers who cannot drive, along with train enthusiasts.

There will undoubtedly be job losses because of the ripple effect the move will have. As this is happening, the government is underwriting a $42 million loan to underpin a hotel development at the Adelaide Oval proposed by the Stadium Management Authority, which comprises of several prominent members with strong links to the Liberal Party, and is also investing millions in a cycling track from Adelaide to Melbourne. Both projects are aimed at a privileged sector of the community while battlers are cruelled by this indulgence. My questions to the minister are:

1. Why couldn't the minister find the $300,000 per year to maintain the train services from his tourism budget?

2. What will happen to the redundant train set and will the government look at running it on a rail service to Port Pirie or Port Augusta?

3. Has the route of the proposed cycling track been changed, has the government secured access rights over private property for the cycling track to cross barrages on the River Murray, and at what cost to taxpayers?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) (15:01): I thank the honourable member for his ongoing interest. I think I largely covered all of the points—I have another copy of those notes that I read from earlier in relation to the Overland, and I am happy to repeat them, but I suspect that it would be perhaps stretching it a bit far to be that repetitious.

Certainly, the decision was made by the Minister for Transport, and I know that the honourable member talks about people—pensioners and others—but, certainly the ones who are impacted in regional South Australia. I talked about the Red Cross car service which, again, I am happy to repeat because I think it is a fabulous service, and I applaud the Red Cross and all the volunteers who drive those cars from all over South Australia to support older people and people with a disability who can't get to Adelaide themselves.

I think for anyone who lives in Adelaide—and I know that some people do have it as a preferred mode of transport, but we had railway lines all over this state that were no longer profitable over the years and we have seen them close. The Hon. Ms Scriven across the way, the Hon. Rob Lucas and the Hon. Kyam Maher are well aware that we used to have a thing called the Bluebird that went from Mount Gambier to Adelaide, which in the end just was not viable and the patronage dropped off. At the risk of being sat down, when I used to put things on the train in the middle of the night, some 40-odd years ago, there would be a number of people—

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Point of order, Mr President.

The PRESIDENT: I know. Continue, the Hon. Mr Ridgway, but just limit the personal reminiscences. The member is actually asking about investment in tourist activities in relation to the hotel, so can we just keep it on point.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: I beg your pardon, Mr President, he did ask me about running trains to Port Pirie and other parts of the state—

The PRESIDENT: He did.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: —and what I am trying to put in some context is that many years ago, in the Bordertown railway station, you might have seen 20 or 30 people wanting to get on the Overland and today it is virtually none, so patronage has dropped off. We have seen rail services disappear. The government has no intention or budget to run a train service to Port Pirie or Port Augusta or, in fact, anywhere in regional South Australia because it has been proven to be more efficient or more nimble to use other modes of transport.

In relation to the cycle trail, which is something that I am passionate about and could speak at some length on, it is progressing. The Tourism Commission has had some discussions with most of the councils about where the track will go. Unlike the former government, where you had the minister for tourism and the minister for the environment sort of at 40 paces most days not liking each other, we have actually established something called a Visitor Economy Taskforce where we have the tourism minister, the environment minister and the Minister for Water working closely together to look at some of those options.

Of course, the honourable member talks about the barrages and access across the mouth of the river. That has been well progressed. We don't have a cost at this stage. One of the things we looked at was the Adelaide to Melbourne bike trail, which Tourism Australia sees as an iconic opportunity and an iconic tourism attraction. The former Victorian minister has resigned or been sacked. I don't quite know how they do that in the Labor Party. Anyway, Mr John Eren will no longer be the minister. There is a new one, maybe even announced today; I am not sure. I might have a look on the internet after question time.

I am very keen to pursue that, because Visit Victoria sees the Adelaide to Melbourne cycle trail as being an opportunity to enhance both their visitor experience and ours. We have started work on this side of the border. We had to wait until the election, clearly, although I have had some meetings and some discussions at the trade and tourism ministers' meetings, where the minister said to me, 'Mate, this is a great idea. We want to back it.' I know the federal minister likes it, I know Tourism Australia likes it, and I know the SATC has had some contact with Visit Victoria, just starting to look at the route where it could go.

The SATC had people consulting in the South-East, on the Limestone Coast, talking to councils, because as you know there is already the little cycle trail through the middle of Mount Gambier on the old rail corridor. There is a strong push to take something from Penola out to Coonawarra. I know the Naracoorte council is doing some work on a cycling and walking trail from the town centre out to the Naracoorte Caves. There is also another cycling strategy for the rest of the Limestone Coast. We have the great River Murray walk and cycle trail that they are looking at doing.

There is a whole range of other activities happening on the Fleurieu area around that route. While we don't have any costs at this stage, our original election commitment, for the honourable member's benefit, was to look at the route, talk to the stakeholders, talk to the communities about where they would like that route to go, and talk to Victoria, which I am delighted is supportive of it. I know that Visit Victoria is supportive. I know the board of Visit Victoria is supportive and that Tourism Australia is supportive. It is a bit unheard of in the former government to actually be working in collaboration with another state and the national government for an outcome that suits and benefits everybody.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Pangallo, a supplementary.