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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-05-08 Daily Xml
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Tonsley Park Public Transport Project

Ms DIGANCE (Elder) (15:17): I too am going to speak on transport in the electorate of Elder, but I am going to focus on it in a more positive nature. I think it is human nature that we can look at issues negatively instead of looking at them through the eyes of what we can achieve. The reopening of the Tonsley line on Monday (just past) was a very important event. The significance of its reopening cannot be underestimated for the people of the area. Along with many eager commuters, I boarded the train for one of the first early morning trips from Clovelly Park Station to head towards the city. Clovelly Park Station, for those who are not sure where it is, is near the park-and-ride facility situated near the new Tonsley redevelopment.

Spirits were high, as locals spoke eagerly about the return of 'their train', as they so fondly called it. They had been patient, waiting for the return of this train to their track, and they were very understanding about what had been happening over the years. This is a critical element, this train, to the transport infrastructure that adds to the government's continued vision of the Tonsley redevelopment and renewal project. It is also a commitment that means better public transport, a quicker commute and fewer cars on local roads. It is what responsible governments do.

While the Tonsley line catchment area on the local demographic is Mitchell Park, Clovelly Park and Ascot Park, very quickly, I am sure, many surrounding suburbs will form an extended catchment area as both knowledge of the park-and-ride and the effortless service to and from the city becomes more widely known. With the once-in-a-generation revitalisation work on the line complete it is time to thank commuters for their patience during construction works and substitute services. The rebuild stands to change how people travel to and from the city. The revitalisation has seen investment in signalling, sleepers and electrification.

This line stands to transport hundreds of passengers as student numbers increase over time at the Tonsley TAFE and Flinders University campus. Flinders University campus will see its first students early next year. In addition to this, we will see over time the building of housing, as later this year we expect to see the master plan for over 1,000 homes.

These changes will offer commuters an improvement in the service available for people travelling into and from the city. Already, with the TAFE open and its first students well settled, I know that many of them have begun to use this service. Just the other morning I met a student who had travelled from Salisbury on our public transport network. He was pleased that now the last part of his journey to reach the TAFE that he studied at meant a very quick train commute from the city to the TAFE. In the near future we will expect to see more than 10,000 TAFE and Flinders University students move to this campus as the Tonsley Park redevelopment progresses. This new rail service will play a very significant role and is extremely important to this area.

The magnitude of this Tonsley line is clearly lost on those opposite, as we saw not one of them speak out in opposition when, unacceptably, their federal colleagues last year, prior to the federal election and in the stealth of the media blackout, ripped away millions of dollars from this project. This money was to complete the park-and-ride and upgrade the stations. If you were to go and have a look at these particular facilities you would see that they are in desperate need of upgrade.

Those opposite clearly have no vision for the area and the development of a ground-breaking site. This entire project—the Tonsley redevelopment, the transport infrastructure renewal—has captured the imagination and excitement of so many South Australians and is one that I continually hear support for. However, do we hear support from those opposite? They could get on board, but instead all we hear is negative rhetoric and the talking down of all the progress in our state. This train line is a key part of the public transport network and, most importantly, for our local community.

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