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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-09-23 Daily Xml
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Tonsley Railway Station

Mrs POWER (Elder) (14:13): My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Can the minister update the house on how the Marshall Liberal government is delivering better services for the Tonsley and Flinders communities? With your leave, Mr Speaker, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mrs POWER: The minister previously announced a $16 million new Tonsley station as part of the Flinders Link Project, and on Friday 18 September the minister announced that there would be more than 2,200 new services per year for the new Tonsley line.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD (Gibson—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:13): I thank the member for that brilliant question about this brilliant project, one that the Marshall Liberal government is delivering in partnership with the federal Morrison government.

I think the first point we want to make is that this Flinders Link Project is part of our $12.9 billion infrastructure spend—numbers those on the other side would not know—and this is delivering more jobs for South Australians, and that is what we are about. I was fortunate enough to be the Minister for Infrastructure and visit this $141 million project at the Flinders Link. I have been up there three times, in fact. I went when they started laying the sleepers.

We have also been up to the platform to see that work. The canopy has just gone on, and I can tell you that this project is on track. The project has the advocacy of the member for Elder, and she has fought hard for her community. This project is full steam ahead.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: They don't like it on that side, Mr Speaker, when we are delivering infrastructure projects. It really is a shame. In fact, we also announced, as the member pointed out, an extra 44 services. Delivering more services—we made that commitment at the election and we are following through. Across the course of the year, 2,200-plus extra trips for people along the Tonsley train line. This is a great result.

The indicative time line is expected to open when passengers start rolling out of the trains from December, and it will extend the services through until midnight on weeknights, something they did not do on the other side when they were in government. We will also run weekend services. Unfortunately, when they were in government, the people who lived on the Tonsley line got no services at all on the weekend. That is not going to happen on our watch.

Of course, this is a massive win. The reason this came about is the new contract we have signed with our service supplier, Keolis Downer. What a great result—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —delivering better services for South Australia. We know they don't want better services on that side, but no way. On this side, we are delivering jobs and we are delivering better services.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: Corrupt contract.

The SPEAKER: Order, member for West Torrens!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: I hear them talking about outsourcing, Mr Speaker, and they love outsourcing on that side. Just ask the member for West Torrens.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: The member for West Torrens sold off $5 billion worth of government assets: the Motor Accident Commission, the Lands Titles Office, the lotteries, the forestries. You name it, if it wasn't tied down the member for West Torrens just flogged it off. Privatisation Pete was right behind him—right behind him. The member for West Torrens was pulling the strings, but we know what they are like over there.

This new station now has the canopy and it's all ready to go. This is another electrifying milestone in this project to deliver better services and more jobs for the people of South Australia. Alongside the extension, the line goes up to Flinders. Of course, it was called the Tonsley line. Train lines are named after where they finish up, so it will be known as the Flinders line going forward, but we are getting a new Tonsley train station.

Again, the member for Elder advocates for this with all her heart, to make sure that they have a modern, first-class facility there at Tonsley, adjacent to the Tonsley Innovation Precinct. Of course, it will allow people to get up to the Flinders Medical Centre and also provide access to the city. I know the member for Davenport as well is passionate about this line.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: Being up there and speaking to the local people and also to the people at the university, they are over the moon about this project. It is going to really help out with patronage there and allow people to access the city as well as all the suburbs along the line. This dovetails beautifully with Flinders University's $1.5 billion investment in their Flinders Village, again creating jobs and delivering better services at the same time, as we committed to at the last election.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Before I call the member for Reynell, I call to order the member for Playford and warn the member for Playford. I call to order the member for Lee, and I warn the member for West Torrens.

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