Spokesperson for Family First Nicholas Greer says Family First’s biggest concern is for a proper state wide planning of public transport to be done to better service everyone’s needs.

“Adelaide has laid and then ripped up 14 separate rail lines – including a line that already went right past Seaford…, we’ve closed passenger lines to the Barossa; and closed lines to places such as Mount Barker and Victor Harbor due to interstate gauge standardisation. In FAMILY FIRST’s opinion, Adelaide would be a more vibrant and easily accessible city if many of these lines had not been shut down,” he said.

Mr Greer says Adelaide’s wide range of public service vehicles would cause unnecessary costs in maintenance and that the party has pitched this to the government in parliament.

He says the Belair line should be electrified to reduce the later servicing requirements of the sole diesel line.

The party also says the Keswick station is poorly located but has doubts as to the cost effectiveness of the Liberal’s proposal.

Trains would better suit high-capacity travel to venues like AAMI and the Entertainment Centre, the party says.

Proper thought into public transport services is an issue for SA Democrats, Third candidate for Legislative Council Sandra Kanck says.

The party want to extend the Belair line as far as Murray Bridge and extend the Gawler line to Barossa Valley and Roseworthy for the proposed population expansion of 110,000 to the region, as written in the recent Adelaide 30 year report.

The Noarlunga line should also be extended to Seaford and Aldinga and potentially a new line to McLaren vale she said.

There was room to create a new freight line to the east of Mt Lofty Ranges.

How power for electric trains would be generated is an issue for The Democrats.

“If, for instance, the source is coal-fired generation from the Port Augusta power stations, that electricity would be highly greenhouse gas intensive, and to some extent would defeat part of the environmental upside of having more public transport,” Ms Kanck said.

Upgrades to the Keswick station to better assist travellers get to the suburban rail services was said to be a potentially more cost-effective option than the Liberal plan, she said.

Greens MLC Mark Parnell has panned the government’s developments of new housing and access to these sites.

In an interview with 5AA about the 30 year plan for South Australia last month, Mr Parnell said transport services need to be confirmed before land developments.

“…If the government is going to develop something like Buckland Park they have to commit to getting a fixed rail line out there … otherwise you’ve got people attracted out to the urban fringe by these cheap house and land packages and once out there they’re going to be marooned by incredible petrol prices because it’s nowhere near anything.”

Mark was a fan of the Smart Card ticketing system announced in February.

“At the moment, there aren’t many incentives to use public transport. People aren’t stupid – they weigh up the cost, convenience and reliability of driving versus catching a train, tram or bus, he said.

“If you get fifty or a hundred bucks off your car rego because you catch the train or the bus more, then that’s an extra bit of encouragement.”

He also believes public transport should be free to school children.

“The Greens call on the Rann Government to extend that to the next generation.

“We need to do everything we can to encourage school children out of cars and into more sustainable forms of transport,” he said.

By Anthony Caggiano for RailSA

LRC mayor Robert Hornsey and chief executive officer Brian Carr met with infrastructure, transport and regional development minister Anthony Albanese as part of the recent community cabinet meeting, and put forward council’s proposal to extend the Gawler line to Roseworthy.

Mr. Hornsey said LRC’s proposition complements the state government’s 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide, which earmarks Roseworthy for future residential development and expansion.

“It’s got all the things going for it with its proximity to Adelaide, with the NEXY and Sturt highway duplications, the fact that it has a rail corridor, it’s relatively affordable land,” he said.

Mr. Hornsey said council submitted a discussion paper to Mr. Albanese outlining the $30 to $32 million project.

“The Light Regional Council proposal was to bring to the government’s attention the fact that it’s only eight kilometres further from Gawler to Roseworthy, the railway corridor exists,” he said.

“And that with the government’s planning on upgrading and electrification of the northern rail line to Gawler, that if they were to do that to Roseworthy it could be done relatively cheaply for the extra section if it was all done as one job.”

Mr. Hornsey said council wants the passenger train service extended to Roseworthy before the anticipated residential influx.

“We feel it’s much better if…the infrastructure is put in place to begin with rather than later,” he said.

“We feel that’s a mistake that’s often made, where the infrastructure is put in after the development has taken place and people have already then settled into their ways of how they move and how they get around etc, whereas if the infrastructure is there to start with it may well encourage them to use it.”

However, Mr. Hornsey said no definitive time line has been included in the proposal.

“I don’t want to give the impression to people that tomorrow they’ll start building an electric railway to Roseworthy,” he said.

“We’re talking long-term stuff here.”

Mr. Hornsey said the proposal was well-received, and LRC is now awaiting a response from the federal government.

Bunyip Press