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.JPG) Public transport has long been an issue for Barossa Valley residents and Ivan has raised the issue many times in Parliament, particularly the need for a passenger rail service to be extended to the Barossa from Gawler. Over the past few years Ivan has made speeches, submitted petitions and organised for the then Shadow Minister, Martin Hamilton-Smith, to visit the region in late 2006 and has met with local stakeholders including Council to discuss rail services to the Barossa.
Ivan has also met with the Director of Genesee and Wyoming Australia - the company that leases and operates the rail line that goes between Gawler and Angaston in the Barossa Valley from the State Government. The line is already in place and Ivan believes it is only commonsense that a passenger rail service be at least trialled by the State Government before final judgement on its success or failure can be realised.
Ivan has raised the matter with the Minister for Transport ad nauseum, but he has dismissed the proposal because the State Government have deemed that the service would not make a profit. However, when Ivan questioned the Minister during Parliament Estimates Hearings in June 2009, the Minister admitted that no public transport system is feasible and Ivan believes that this response can be viewed as an excuse of the Government to continue to ignore the public transport needs of regional areas.
In November 2008, Ivan moved a private members motion in Parliament, urging the House to support the introduction of a trail passenger train service to the Barossa and secondly support the re-introduction of the Barossa Wine Train. An amendment to the motion was moved and after several members joined in the debate the motion was passed.
The Environment, Resources and Development (ERD) Committee of which Ivan is a member, completed an enquiry into the current and future public transport needs for South Australia, which was tabled in Parliament on the 1st December 2009. The Committee examined the future development of an efficient and integrated public transport system across the State, incorporating all forms of public transport and necessary infrastructure improvements. One of the terms of reference that the Committee investigated was “the introduction of a high speed passenger train service between Adelaide and Angaston, with a report on the feasibility of co-use leasing or of purchasing the current line”.
The report was compiled by Professor Michael Taylor, Dr Nicholas Holyoak and Professor Derek Scrafton from the Institute for Sustainable Systems and Technologies at the University of South Australia. The Minister for Transport provided his response to the enquiry to the ERD Committee on the 30 June 2010 and Ivan said he was extremely disappointed with the Minister’s response.
Ivan said that the Minister’s responses to Recommendation 22 and 23, which relate to public transport in the Barossa Valley are vague and fail to address the full content of the recommendations.
The ERD Committee suggests that the Department of Transport, Energy and Infrastructure (DTEI) conduct an investigation into the return of passenger rail services to the Barossa, and this be expanded to cover all aspects of public transport provision and future needs for transport in the Barossa region.
“However, the Minister’s response only addresses the train aspect of the recommendation and does not offer any response regarding other public transport options” said Ivan.
Ivan has been calling on the Rann Labor Government to at the very least allow buses that run from the train stations in Gawler to the Barossa, to run on the same Metro Ticket system that is used on the train.
“The current prices for tickets to use the local bus company are cost prohibitive for many” he said, “But if people where able to get off the train in Gawler and use the same ticket to catch a connecting bus, then I am certain patronage would increase”.
Public opinion in the Barossa certainly demonstrates that locals want a passenger rail and Ivan vows to put pressure on the Government to at least trial a passenger rail service to the Barossa.
Many believe it is imperative for a major South Australian tourist region - the Barossa Valley – to have adequate public transport available for locals and visitors to the area. Ivan believes that the State Rann Labor Government lacks the political will to re-instate a passenger rail service to the Barossa – otherwise a passenger train, either a tourist or regular commuter train would be running on the line now.
“The Liberals introduced the Wine Train when we were in Government under Minister Laidlaw and if it wasn’t for the huge tourism downturn as a result of September 11 and the SARS outbreak then it would have been a lot more profitable. So why can’t Labor?! It made money then, why not now?
“Transport connectivity is all important for the Barossa – it is amazing that so many people visit the Barossa given that there is no easy transport to the area from Adelaide – a regular train service is not just essential – it’s a must” he said.
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