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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-05-19 Daily Xml
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Overland Train Service

The Hon. J.S. LEE (14:40): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development.

The PRESIDENT: On the topic of?

The Hon. J.S. LEE: Regarding the Overland train service.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: During question time on 5 May this year, the minister said that the Malinauskas Labor government is reversing the decision of the former Liberal government to cut funding to the Overland train service.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.S. LEE: My questions—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Just hang on. You are actually now in government, not in opposition, so you sit there quietly, and you do as well, the Hon. Mr Wortley. Continue, please.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: My questions to the minister are: can the minister please provide reassurance that the Malinauskas Labor government is committed to providing recurrent funding for the Overland train service—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.S. LEE: —and has the state government—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.S. LEE: —consulted their Victorian counterparts regarding ongoing funding for this service—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Continue, please.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: —and will the funding for this service be included in the upcoming state budget?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:41): Thank you very much for this question. I am very pleased to receive this question from the honourable member.

The Hon. K.J. Maher: It sounds like a government question.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: It does sound like a government question, as the Hon. Mr Maher interjects.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I am sure those opposite would never set up one of their team members. We know that they always work so well as a team, they don't have any infighting and, of course, they don't have any factions; we know that. So that would never occur that the honourable Deputy Leader of the Opposition in this place would be set up. I do understand why members might think that she is being set up. After all, this is a question about the iconic Overland train service.

This is a question about a service which received only a relatively small amount of funding from the former Labor state government. I think, if my recollection is correct, it was $1 million over three years. That was an important piece of funding to ensure that the service could continue. It's a service, of course, that is very important to regional towns, such as Murray Bridge and Bordertown, because it offers one of the few public transport options, particularly to Bordertown. I have spoken with a resident in Naracoorte who has mobility issues and, of course, he finds it incredibly difficult to access any other services that will get him to Adelaide or to Melbourne.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Wortley!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I know there is not a whole lot—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —of understanding on the other side about the South-East—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The two leaders, if you want to have a chat, go outside.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I don't think there is anyone from the other side who lives in the Limestone Coast, but I am happy to be corrected, so they may not realise that there is not an airport in Bordertown, there is not an option from Naracoorte to fly to Adelaide or to fly to Melbourne.

The Hon. R.P. Wortley: Ridgway didn't realise that.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: So if one is unable to drive, or indeed has mobility issues, that makes car or bus travel very difficult—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —because there is, of course, a coach that goes through, then the Overland is one of the few options remaining to them. Despite that, despite their purported commitment to the regions, despite their purported commitment—

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Point of order: we are now up to I think it is three minutes and 15 and the minister is yet to even touch base on part of the question.

The PRESIDENT: There is no point of order. Minister, please continue, but—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Interjections are out of order. Please continue, but we do need to get on with the business of the day,

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: Certainly, sir.

The PRESIDENT: Let's answer the question and then we will move on.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: It is a bit disappointing to again find that the Leader of the Opposition in this place is so disinterested in services to regional South Australia that she wants to close down the argument. She wants to close down my answer to this question.

The PRESIDENT: Minister, let's get back to the topic.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: This is a very vital service. I have attended events both in Murray Bridge and in Bordertown to highlight the importance of this service. It was a commitment before the election made by the then Labor opposition that we would reinstate that funding, and I am very glad to be able to report to this place that this is a government that keeps its promises. I look forward—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: Indeed, not like GlobeLink, or 'globlink' as the honourable member refers to. This is a promise that we have made, and I look forward to that coming to fruition.

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