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

I rise today to speak about the importance of public transport in the electorate of Kingston—in particular the importance of the extension of the Noarlunga rail line to Seaford and Aldinga. I have seen this project as one of the top priorities for our local area and have been a passionate advocate of it to both state and federal governments. Since my preselection, and since being elected as a member, I have consulted widely in my electorate through doorknocking, street-corner meetings, shopping centre stalls and community events.

The extension of the rail line from Noarlunga to Seaford has been one of the key local issues raised with me time and time again. It is not just the residents of Seaford and Aldinga that have registered support for the extension; I have also received widespread support for this extension from residents across all the southern suburbs of Adelaide. There has also been support from many local organisations including the Seaford Residents Association, the Aldinga Bay Residents Association and the local council. The local throwaway newspaper, the Southern Times Messenger, has been taking a keen interest in this project and launched a petition that was signed by over 7,000 people calling on the state government to extend the rail line.

For the last year, my office has been inundated by people distressed about the lack of transport services in the southern suburbs of Adelaide. One Kingston resident is required to drive up to 80 kilometres a day to and from the city just to go to work. Others are forced to commute on multiple buses for periods upwards of two hours to travel from Aldinga to the city.

I have been raising these issues on a regular basis with the state government to ensure that they fully appreciate the issues of public transport in the southern suburbs. I have also outlined the wide-ranging benefits that the rail extension would have to the local community. As part of my intensive consultations on this issue, I have personally written to the state transport minister, the Hon. Patrick Conlon, to explain why this project is so vital for Kingston and for all of South Australia.

The population of southern Adelaide is increasing at a rapid rate—particularly the areas of Aldinga and Seaford, with a projected population increase of up to 50,000 residents. South Australia’s strategic plan states that South Australia must continue to grow, both financially and in population, in order to remain economically competitive with other regions of Australia. If South Australia is to reach its projected goal of a population of two million people by 2050, we need to invest and build transportation infrastructure to allow the safe and easy passage of people from one part of Adelaide to another, especially for those residing in outer metropolitan suburbs.

A rail extension would also have significant environmental outcomes and assist with urban congestion in the outer metropolitan areas. Effective, reliable rail services will enable more people to catch public transport and reduce the number of cars on our roads, and, as a result, contribute to a reduction in carbon emissions.

For the first time in the nation’s history the federal government has committed to investing in infrastructure, including public transport infrastructure. I was pleased to announce earlier this year the federal government’s commitment to a study which would look at reducing urban congestion in the southern suburbs. The jointly funded $4 million transport sustainability study—with $3 million being contributed by the federal government and $1 million from the state government—will provide a detailed analysis of infrastructure difficulties in extending the Noarlunga rail line over the Onkaparinga River.

As part of the infrastructure investment process Infrastructure Australia asked for states and territories and communities to submit their priority projects. I was incredibly pleased to recently hear the announcement by the South Australian government that the Seaford rail extension is one of South Australia’s five priority projects which they will be submitting to the federal Building Australia fund. The state government’s submission to extend the rail network to Seaford includes construction of 5.5 kilometres of electric railway with a bridge across the Onkaparinga River. Additional rail vehicles are also a component of the submission, which includes construction of new railway stations. I support wholeheartedly the state government’s submission for this rail extension as it is a critical piece of infrastructure. (Time expired)