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

I am very pleased to rise tonight to speak about some of the very important budget measures that are happening in my electorate of Kingston. Probably the most significant investment announced for my electorate is for the rail extension from Noarlunga to Seaford. This is not the first time I have risen in this House to speak about how important this project is to the local community. In fact, I have spoken many times about how the outer metropolitan area is starting to grow, especially the outer southern suburbs of Adelaide. Areas like Seaford, Seaford Rise and Seaford Meadows are growing at a significant rate. Previously, the metropolitan area ended around the point of Noarlunga, and the growth has led to an increasing need for more public transport to be available in the area. This budget measure—a commitment of $291 million—is a perfect example of how this government is supporting jobs, small business and larger businesses in Australia by investing in the infrastructure we need for tomorrow.

I want to talk about some of the community that called for this rail extension. It is not just a few people who have called for it; overwhelmingly, people in my electorate have called for it. The Seaford District Residents Association has been campaigning for this for many, many years. In fact, it might be of interest for the House to know that this rail corridor has been mapped out for the past 30 years. However, no previous government has committed to actually build it, and this has been a great frustration for the residents. The Seaford District Residents Association, with people like Ron Jenkins and Harold Warburton, has been out there fighting to try to get this on the agenda because of its importance. The local council has also been talking to various people to explain how important this is. I was very pleased that the South Australian state government put this project to Infrastructure Australia as one of its top priority projects. I made my own submission to Infrastructure Australia to illustrate just how important this project is.

Some of the statistics speak for themselves. It is estimated that the extension from Noarlunga to Seaford will result in about 1.5 million extra public transport trips per year and up to 400,000 passenger hours each year. What that means is that there will be fewer cars on the road. I have spoken to a lot of constituents who have been very frustrated that they have not been able to get easily from Aldinga or Seaford to the rail line. This will make it easier for them to use public transport. It will mean fewer cars on the road, less carbon emissions and more people using public transport. That is a great thing for the future. The rail extension will coincide with the state government’s commitment to electrify the rail. It is projected to start next year and to be finished in 2013. That is a good time line that has been welcomed by residents. It will also play an incredibly important part in stimulating the Australian economy. This project, with the many other infrastructure projects that have been announced by the Rudd government, will help cushion Australia from the full impact of the global recession, while laying the foundations for a stronger and more prosperous future. That will certainly occur as a result of this rail extension in the southern suburbs of Adelaide.

My challenge tonight is not only to raise this issue but also to urge the opposition to support this measure. They have not indicated whether or not they will support the infrastructure measures. There are reports that the Leader of the Opposition has said he will review all the infrastructure projects. My message is that the residents in my electorate do not want this reviewed again. They do not want to continue to talk about it. They want to see action on the ground. They want to see the result of this great investment in the local area that will take the outer suburbs of south Adelaide well into the decades to come. I would like to hear from the opposition. Will they support this project? (Time expired)