Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to raise an issue that is very important in my electorate, and that is the issue of public transport in the southern suburbs of Adelaide. There are many new homes being built in my electorate and there is an imperative to ensure that these new suburbs, as well as the existing suburbs in my electorate, are serviced by good public transport. It is estimated that over the next 15 years the population in the outer metropolitan areas of Adelaide is set to double. We need to make sure that the infrastructure is there to accommodate this growing population, including by providing a good public transport system.

With the price of petrol going up and with growing concerns about global warming, using public transport is becoming a more affordable option for many people. This is particularly the case in the southern suburbs, where many people in my electorate commute to the CBD of Adelaide. If you take a car, this takes around 50 minutes. However, the public transport option is attractive not only for enabling commuters to get around more easily but also for governments who are looking to make a significant impact in reducing carbon emissions and urban congestion on our roads.

In my electorate, there is a train line that goes from Adelaide to the suburb of Noarlunga. I would like to take this opportunity to applaud the South Australian state government’s recent announcement to electrify this rail line. This will be a key measure to allow for a faster, quieter, more reliable and cleaner public transport service. When this train line was first constructed in Noarlunga, it was the obvious place for the line to end. However, over the years, the suburbs of Seaford and Aldinga have grown significantly. It is therefore inevitable that the Noarlunga rail line will need to be extended to the suburbs of Seaford and Aldinga. This project has been widely endorsed by local residents, including the Seaford Residents Association. The South Australian state government has moved one step closer to extending the rail line by committing $34 million in its most recent budget to acquiring land to develop a transport corridor from Seaford to Aldinga. I certainly support this move, as it is one step closer to extending the line.

The previous member for Kingston talked a lot about extending the rail line. However, he was never able to deliver one cent to this project. Why? It was because the previous federal government were intent on blaming the states rather than looking at how they could contribute to building the nation’s public transport system. I am pleased that this government, the Rudd government, takes a different view. That is why I welcome wholeheartedly the announcement in this year’s federal budget of $3 million to fund a transport sustainability study for Adelaide. This is a first for a federal government. I was pleased to announce recently at the Flinders Medical Centre the specific projects that the study will focus on. One of the projects that we need to tackle is the complex engineering issue of extending the Noarlunga rail line across the Onkaparinga River. The study does exactly that. It is a complex task to extend the bridge over the Onkaparinga River, as the width and the winding nature of the river make crossing difficult. However, the study will focus on solutions.

The commitment of $3 million shows that the Rudd government is serious about being involved in the development of public transport and building a modern nation for the future. This has been backed up by the $20 billion Building Australia Fund. I am pleased to be part of a government that does make building our nation its priority.