❓ Hon Carolyn Burton asks about reinstating bus route 155. Hon Simon O’Brien provides a lengthy explanation of why the route was discontinued due to changes associated with the Mandurah rail line, but doesn't give a clear yes/no answer.
AnsweredQoN 374Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
PUBLIC TRANSPORT — BUS ROUTE 155
I refer to a petition tabled on the minister’s behalf in November 2008 regarding the reinstatement of bus route 155 from Cannington train station. (1) Will this bus route be reinstated given that the minister is well aware of the need for this service? (2) If yes to (1), when will the bus route be reinstated? (3) If no to (1), why not? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN
I refer to a petition tabled on the minister’s behalf in November 2008 regarding the reinstatement of bus route 155 from Cannington train station. (1) Will this bus route be reinstated given that the minister is well aware of the need for this service? (2) If yes to (1), when will the bus route be reinstated? (3) If no to (1), why not? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for the question, which was without notice. (1)-(3) I am well aware of the 155 bus service; I used to catch it from time to time, though not regularly. It went from Cannington train station via Booragoon to Fremantle. I occasionally caught it to my house in Parkwood from Fremantle when I was working in Fremantle. The 155 service is one of the services that was done away with on 23 December 2007 by the former Labor government, along with other services south of the river. Bus services were redrawn completely coincident with the opening of the Mandurah rail line. When I say that the services were redrawn completely, the existing services, routes, timetables, even the bus numbers, were all exchanged for different services, numbers, timetables and so on. One of the key differences was that the onset of the railway required, in accordance with the policy of the government, that certain rail stations on that route be the focal point for bus services; that is, bus services that had formerly been trunk services that perhaps originated in, for example, the Ferndale or Willetton area, that might have collected people from dormitory suburbs then got on to a freeway express lane at Leach Highway and proceeded north to Perth were done away with, but the equivalent collector services that came on board were taken to the new hub of the Bull Creek railway station at Leach Highway. This was all up and down the south metropolitan region. Route 155 was done away with and the areas that it used to service are serviced in different ways. As an opposition member I received some adverse comment about this from former patrons of that service in 2008. Hon Sue Ellery : Are you going to reinstate it? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Does the member want to hear the answer to the question? Hon Sue Ellery : You seem to be taking a long time to get there. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : How I frame the answer is up to me. Those opposite make up the questions. The PRESIDENT : Order, members. The Minister for Transport is answering a question asked by Hon Carolyn Burton who, quite properly, is listening to the answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : There is a lot of interest in this matter. That is why I am taking a bit of time to explain what has happened. Hon Ken Travers : I’m glad you weren’t asked a question about the circular route; it would have taken forever. The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
(1) Will this bus route be reinstated given that the minister is well aware of the need for this service? (2) If yes to (1), when will the bus route be reinstated? (3) If no to (1), why not? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: I thank the honourable member for the question, which was without notice. (1)-(3) I am well aware of the 155 bus service; I used to catch it from time to time, though not regularly. It went from Cannington train station via Booragoon to Fremantle. I occasionally caught it to my house in Parkwood from Fremantle when I was working in Fremantle. The 155 service is one of the services that was done away with on 23 December 2007 by the former Labor government, along with other services south of the river. Bus services were redrawn completely coincident with the opening of the Mandurah rail line. When I say that the services were redrawn completely, the existing services, routes, timetables, even the bus numbers, were all exchanged for different services, numbers, timetables and so on. One of the key differences was that the onset of the railway required, in accordance with the policy of the government, that certain rail stations on that route be the focal point for bus services; that is, bus services that had formerly been trunk services that perhaps originated in, for example, the Ferndale or Willetton area, that might have collected people from dormitory suburbs then got on to a freeway express lane at Leach Highway and proceeded north to Perth were done away with, but the equivalent collector services that came on board were taken to the new hub of the Bull Creek railway station at Leach Highway. This was all up and down the south metropolitan region. Route 155 was done away with and the areas that it used to service are serviced in different ways. As an opposition member I received some adverse comment about this from former patrons of that service in 2008. Hon Sue Ellery : Are you going to reinstate it? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Does the member want to hear the answer to the question? Hon Sue Ellery : You seem to be taking a long time to get there. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : How I frame the answer is up to me. Those opposite make up the questions. The PRESIDENT : Order, members. The Minister for Transport is answering a question asked by Hon Carolyn Burton who, quite properly, is listening to the answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : There is a lot of interest in this matter. That is why I am taking a bit of time to explain what has happened. Hon Ken Travers : I’m glad you weren’t asked a question about the circular route; it would have taken forever. The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
(2) If yes to (1), when will the bus route be reinstated? (3) If no to (1), why not? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: I thank the honourable member for the question, which was without notice. (1)-(3) I am well aware of the 155 bus service; I used to catch it from time to time, though not regularly. It went from Cannington train station via Booragoon to Fremantle. I occasionally caught it to my house in Parkwood from Fremantle when I was working in Fremantle. The 155 service is one of the services that was done away with on 23 December 2007 by the former Labor government, along with other services south of the river. Bus services were redrawn completely coincident with the opening of the Mandurah rail line. When I say that the services were redrawn completely, the existing services, routes, timetables, even the bus numbers, were all exchanged for different services, numbers, timetables and so on. One of the key differences was that the onset of the railway required, in accordance with the policy of the government, that certain rail stations on that route be the focal point for bus services; that is, bus services that had formerly been trunk services that perhaps originated in, for example, the Ferndale or Willetton area, that might have collected people from dormitory suburbs then got on to a freeway express lane at Leach Highway and proceeded north to Perth were done away with, but the equivalent collector services that came on board were taken to the new hub of the Bull Creek railway station at Leach Highway. This was all up and down the south metropolitan region. Route 155 was done away with and the areas that it used to service are serviced in different ways. As an opposition member I received some adverse comment about this from former patrons of that service in 2008. Hon Sue Ellery : Are you going to reinstate it? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Does the member want to hear the answer to the question? Hon Sue Ellery : You seem to be taking a long time to get there. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : How I frame the answer is up to me. Those opposite make up the questions. The PRESIDENT : Order, members. The Minister for Transport is answering a question asked by Hon Carolyn Burton who, quite properly, is listening to the answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : There is a lot of interest in this matter. That is why I am taking a bit of time to explain what has happened. Hon Ken Travers : I’m glad you weren’t asked a question about the circular route; it would have taken forever. The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
(3) If no to (1), why not? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: I thank the honourable member for the question, which was without notice. (1)-(3) I am well aware of the 155 bus service; I used to catch it from time to time, though not regularly. It went from Cannington train station via Booragoon to Fremantle. I occasionally caught it to my house in Parkwood from Fremantle when I was working in Fremantle. The 155 service is one of the services that was done away with on 23 December 2007 by the former Labor government, along with other services south of the river. Bus services were redrawn completely coincident with the opening of the Mandurah rail line. When I say that the services were redrawn completely, the existing services, routes, timetables, even the bus numbers, were all exchanged for different services, numbers, timetables and so on. One of the key differences was that the onset of the railway required, in accordance with the policy of the government, that certain rail stations on that route be the focal point for bus services; that is, bus services that had formerly been trunk services that perhaps originated in, for example, the Ferndale or Willetton area, that might have collected people from dormitory suburbs then got on to a freeway express lane at Leach Highway and proceeded north to Perth were done away with, but the equivalent collector services that came on board were taken to the new hub of the Bull Creek railway station at Leach Highway. This was all up and down the south metropolitan region. Route 155 was done away with and the areas that it used to service are serviced in different ways. As an opposition member I received some adverse comment about this from former patrons of that service in 2008. Hon Sue Ellery : Are you going to reinstate it? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Does the member want to hear the answer to the question? Hon Sue Ellery : You seem to be taking a long time to get there. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : How I frame the answer is up to me. Those opposite make up the questions. The PRESIDENT : Order, members. The Minister for Transport is answering a question asked by Hon Carolyn Burton who, quite properly, is listening to the answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : There is a lot of interest in this matter. That is why I am taking a bit of time to explain what has happened. Hon Ken Travers : I’m glad you weren’t asked a question about the circular route; it would have taken forever. The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: I thank the honourable member for the question, which was without notice. (1)-(3) I am well aware of the 155 bus service; I used to catch it from time to time, though not regularly. It went from Cannington train station via Booragoon to Fremantle. I occasionally caught it to my house in Parkwood from Fremantle when I was working in Fremantle. The 155 service is one of the services that was done away with on 23 December 2007 by the former Labor government, along with other services south of the river. Bus services were redrawn completely coincident with the opening of the Mandurah rail line. When I say that the services were redrawn completely, the existing services, routes, timetables, even the bus numbers, were all exchanged for different services, numbers, timetables and so on. One of the key differences was that the onset of the railway required, in accordance with the policy of the government, that certain rail stations on that route be the focal point for bus services; that is, bus services that had formerly been trunk services that perhaps originated in, for example, the Ferndale or Willetton area, that might have collected people from dormitory suburbs then got on to a freeway express lane at Leach Highway and proceeded north to Perth were done away with, but the equivalent collector services that came on board were taken to the new hub of the Bull Creek railway station at Leach Highway. This was all up and down the south metropolitan region. Route 155 was done away with and the areas that it used to service are serviced in different ways. As an opposition member I received some adverse comment about this from former patrons of that service in 2008. Hon Sue Ellery : Are you going to reinstate it? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Does the member want to hear the answer to the question? Hon Sue Ellery : You seem to be taking a long time to get there. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : How I frame the answer is up to me. Those opposite make up the questions. The PRESIDENT : Order, members. The Minister for Transport is answering a question asked by Hon Carolyn Burton who, quite properly, is listening to the answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : There is a lot of interest in this matter. That is why I am taking a bit of time to explain what has happened. Hon Ken Travers : I’m glad you weren’t asked a question about the circular route; it would have taken forever. The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
I thank the honourable member for the question, which was without notice. (1)-(3) I am well aware of the 155 bus service; I used to catch it from time to time, though not regularly. It went from Cannington train station via Booragoon to Fremantle. I occasionally caught it to my house in Parkwood from Fremantle when I was working in Fremantle. The 155 service is one of the services that was done away with on 23 December 2007 by the former Labor government, along with other services south of the river. Bus services were redrawn completely coincident with the opening of the Mandurah rail line. When I say that the services were redrawn completely, the existing services, routes, timetables, even the bus numbers, were all exchanged for different services, numbers, timetables and so on. One of the key differences was that the onset of the railway required, in accordance with the policy of the government, that certain rail stations on that route be the focal point for bus services; that is, bus services that had formerly been trunk services that perhaps originated in, for example, the Ferndale or Willetton area, that might have collected people from dormitory suburbs then got on to a freeway express lane at Leach Highway and proceeded north to Perth were done away with, but the equivalent collector services that came on board were taken to the new hub of the Bull Creek railway station at Leach Highway. This was all up and down the south metropolitan region. Route 155 was done away with and the areas that it used to service are serviced in different ways. As an opposition member I received some adverse comment about this from former patrons of that service in 2008. Hon Sue Ellery : Are you going to reinstate it? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Does the member want to hear the answer to the question? Hon Sue Ellery : You seem to be taking a long time to get there. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : How I frame the answer is up to me. Those opposite make up the questions. The PRESIDENT : Order, members. The Minister for Transport is answering a question asked by Hon Carolyn Burton who, quite properly, is listening to the answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : There is a lot of interest in this matter. That is why I am taking a bit of time to explain what has happened. Hon Ken Travers : I’m glad you weren’t asked a question about the circular route; it would have taken forever. The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
(1)-(3) I am well aware of the 155 bus service; I used to catch it from time to time, though not regularly. It went from Cannington train station via Booragoon to Fremantle. I occasionally caught it to my house in Parkwood from Fremantle when I was working in Fremantle. The 155 service is one of the services that was done away with on 23 December 2007 by the former Labor government, along with other services south of the river. Bus services were redrawn completely coincident with the opening of the Mandurah rail line. When I say that the services were redrawn completely, the existing services, routes, timetables, even the bus numbers, were all exchanged for different services, numbers, timetables and so on. One of the key differences was that the onset of the railway required, in accordance with the policy of the government, that certain rail stations on that route be the focal point for bus services; that is, bus services that had formerly been trunk services that perhaps originated in, for example, the Ferndale or Willetton area, that might have collected people from dormitory suburbs then got on to a freeway express lane at Leach Highway and proceeded north to Perth were done away with, but the equivalent collector services that came on board were taken to the new hub of the Bull Creek railway station at Leach Highway. This was all up and down the south metropolitan region. Route 155 was done away with and the areas that it used to service are serviced in different ways. As an opposition member I received some adverse comment about this from former patrons of that service in 2008. Hon Sue Ellery : Are you going to reinstate it? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Does the member want to hear the answer to the question? Hon Sue Ellery : You seem to be taking a long time to get there. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : How I frame the answer is up to me. Those opposite make up the questions. The PRESIDENT : Order, members. The Minister for Transport is answering a question asked by Hon Carolyn Burton who, quite properly, is listening to the answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : There is a lot of interest in this matter. That is why I am taking a bit of time to explain what has happened. Hon Ken Travers : I’m glad you weren’t asked a question about the circular route; it would have taken forever. The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
Hon Sue Ellery : Are you going to reinstate it? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Does the member want to hear the answer to the question? Hon Sue Ellery : You seem to be taking a long time to get there. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : How I frame the answer is up to me. Those opposite make up the questions. The PRESIDENT : Order, members. The Minister for Transport is answering a question asked by Hon Carolyn Burton who, quite properly, is listening to the answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : There is a lot of interest in this matter. That is why I am taking a bit of time to explain what has happened. Hon Ken Travers : I’m glad you weren’t asked a question about the circular route; it would have taken forever. The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Does the member want to hear the answer to the question? Hon Sue Ellery : You seem to be taking a long time to get there. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : How I frame the answer is up to me. Those opposite make up the questions. The PRESIDENT : Order, members. The Minister for Transport is answering a question asked by Hon Carolyn Burton who, quite properly, is listening to the answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : There is a lot of interest in this matter. That is why I am taking a bit of time to explain what has happened. Hon Ken Travers : I’m glad you weren’t asked a question about the circular route; it would have taken forever. The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
Hon Sue Ellery : You seem to be taking a long time to get there. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : How I frame the answer is up to me. Those opposite make up the questions. The PRESIDENT : Order, members. The Minister for Transport is answering a question asked by Hon Carolyn Burton who, quite properly, is listening to the answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : There is a lot of interest in this matter. That is why I am taking a bit of time to explain what has happened. Hon Ken Travers : I’m glad you weren’t asked a question about the circular route; it would have taken forever. The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : How I frame the answer is up to me. Those opposite make up the questions. The PRESIDENT : Order, members. The Minister for Transport is answering a question asked by Hon Carolyn Burton who, quite properly, is listening to the answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : There is a lot of interest in this matter. That is why I am taking a bit of time to explain what has happened. Hon Ken Travers : I’m glad you weren’t asked a question about the circular route; it would have taken forever. The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
The PRESIDENT : Order, members. The Minister for Transport is answering a question asked by Hon Carolyn Burton who, quite properly, is listening to the answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : There is a lot of interest in this matter. That is why I am taking a bit of time to explain what has happened. Hon Ken Travers : I’m glad you weren’t asked a question about the circular route; it would have taken forever. The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : There is a lot of interest in this matter. That is why I am taking a bit of time to explain what has happened. Hon Ken Travers : I’m glad you weren’t asked a question about the circular route; it would have taken forever. The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
Hon Ken Travers : I’m glad you weren’t asked a question about the circular route; it would have taken forever. The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
(1) Will this bus route be reinstated given that the minister is well aware of the need for this service? (2) If yes to (1), when will the bus route be reinstated? (3) If no to (1), why not? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: I thank the honourable member for the question, which was without notice. (1)-(3) I am well aware of the 155 bus service; I used to catch it from time to time, though not regularly. It went from Cannington train station via Booragoon to Fremantle. I occasionally caught it to my house in Parkwood from Fremantle when I was working in Fremantle. The 155 service is one of the services that was done away with on 23 December 2007 by the former Labor government, along with other services south of the river. Bus services were redrawn completely coincident with the opening of the Mandurah rail line. When I say that the services were redrawn completely, the existing services, routes, timetables, even the bus numbers, were all exchanged for different services, numbers, timetables and so on. One of the key differences was that the onset of the railway required, in accordance with the policy of the government, that certain rail stations on that route be the focal point for bus services; that is, bus services that had formerly been trunk services that perhaps originated in, for example, the Ferndale or Willetton area, that might have collected people from dormitory suburbs then got on to a freeway express lane at Leach Highway and proceeded north to Perth were done away with, but the equivalent collector services that came on board were taken to the new hub of the Bull Creek railway station at Leach Highway. This was all up and down the south metropolitan region. Route 155 was done away with and the areas that it used to service are serviced in different ways. As an opposition member I received some adverse comment about this from former patrons of that service in 2008. Hon Sue Ellery : Are you going to reinstate it? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Does the member want to hear the answer to the question? Hon Sue Ellery : You seem to be taking a long time to get there. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : How I frame the answer is up to me. Those opposite make up the questions. The PRESIDENT : Order, members. The Minister for Transport is answering a question asked by Hon Carolyn Burton who, quite properly, is listening to the answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : There is a lot of interest in this matter. That is why I am taking a bit of time to explain what has happened. Hon Ken Travers : I’m glad you weren’t asked a question about the circular route; it would have taken forever. The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
(2) If yes to (1), when will the bus route be reinstated? (3) If no to (1), why not? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: I thank the honourable member for the question, which was without notice. (1)-(3) I am well aware of the 155 bus service; I used to catch it from time to time, though not regularly. It went from Cannington train station via Booragoon to Fremantle. I occasionally caught it to my house in Parkwood from Fremantle when I was working in Fremantle. The 155 service is one of the services that was done away with on 23 December 2007 by the former Labor government, along with other services south of the river. Bus services were redrawn completely coincident with the opening of the Mandurah rail line. When I say that the services were redrawn completely, the existing services, routes, timetables, even the bus numbers, were all exchanged for different services, numbers, timetables and so on. One of the key differences was that the onset of the railway required, in accordance with the policy of the government, that certain rail stations on that route be the focal point for bus services; that is, bus services that had formerly been trunk services that perhaps originated in, for example, the Ferndale or Willetton area, that might have collected people from dormitory suburbs then got on to a freeway express lane at Leach Highway and proceeded north to Perth were done away with, but the equivalent collector services that came on board were taken to the new hub of the Bull Creek railway station at Leach Highway. This was all up and down the south metropolitan region. Route 155 was done away with and the areas that it used to service are serviced in different ways. As an opposition member I received some adverse comment about this from former patrons of that service in 2008. Hon Sue Ellery : Are you going to reinstate it? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Does the member want to hear the answer to the question? Hon Sue Ellery : You seem to be taking a long time to get there. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : How I frame the answer is up to me. Those opposite make up the questions. The PRESIDENT : Order, members. The Minister for Transport is answering a question asked by Hon Carolyn Burton who, quite properly, is listening to the answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : There is a lot of interest in this matter. That is why I am taking a bit of time to explain what has happened. Hon Ken Travers : I’m glad you weren’t asked a question about the circular route; it would have taken forever. The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
(3) If no to (1), why not? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: I thank the honourable member for the question, which was without notice. (1)-(3) I am well aware of the 155 bus service; I used to catch it from time to time, though not regularly. It went from Cannington train station via Booragoon to Fremantle. I occasionally caught it to my house in Parkwood from Fremantle when I was working in Fremantle. The 155 service is one of the services that was done away with on 23 December 2007 by the former Labor government, along with other services south of the river. Bus services were redrawn completely coincident with the opening of the Mandurah rail line. When I say that the services were redrawn completely, the existing services, routes, timetables, even the bus numbers, were all exchanged for different services, numbers, timetables and so on. One of the key differences was that the onset of the railway required, in accordance with the policy of the government, that certain rail stations on that route be the focal point for bus services; that is, bus services that had formerly been trunk services that perhaps originated in, for example, the Ferndale or Willetton area, that might have collected people from dormitory suburbs then got on to a freeway express lane at Leach Highway and proceeded north to Perth were done away with, but the equivalent collector services that came on board were taken to the new hub of the Bull Creek railway station at Leach Highway. This was all up and down the south metropolitan region. Route 155 was done away with and the areas that it used to service are serviced in different ways. As an opposition member I received some adverse comment about this from former patrons of that service in 2008. Hon Sue Ellery : Are you going to reinstate it? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Does the member want to hear the answer to the question? Hon Sue Ellery : You seem to be taking a long time to get there. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : How I frame the answer is up to me. Those opposite make up the questions. The PRESIDENT : Order, members. The Minister for Transport is answering a question asked by Hon Carolyn Burton who, quite properly, is listening to the answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : There is a lot of interest in this matter. That is why I am taking a bit of time to explain what has happened. Hon Ken Travers : I’m glad you weren’t asked a question about the circular route; it would have taken forever. The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: I thank the honourable member for the question, which was without notice. (1)-(3) I am well aware of the 155 bus service; I used to catch it from time to time, though not regularly. It went from Cannington train station via Booragoon to Fremantle. I occasionally caught it to my house in Parkwood from Fremantle when I was working in Fremantle. The 155 service is one of the services that was done away with on 23 December 2007 by the former Labor government, along with other services south of the river. Bus services were redrawn completely coincident with the opening of the Mandurah rail line. When I say that the services were redrawn completely, the existing services, routes, timetables, even the bus numbers, were all exchanged for different services, numbers, timetables and so on. One of the key differences was that the onset of the railway required, in accordance with the policy of the government, that certain rail stations on that route be the focal point for bus services; that is, bus services that had formerly been trunk services that perhaps originated in, for example, the Ferndale or Willetton area, that might have collected people from dormitory suburbs then got on to a freeway express lane at Leach Highway and proceeded north to Perth were done away with, but the equivalent collector services that came on board were taken to the new hub of the Bull Creek railway station at Leach Highway. This was all up and down the south metropolitan region. Route 155 was done away with and the areas that it used to service are serviced in different ways. As an opposition member I received some adverse comment about this from former patrons of that service in 2008. Hon Sue Ellery : Are you going to reinstate it? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Does the member want to hear the answer to the question? Hon Sue Ellery : You seem to be taking a long time to get there. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : How I frame the answer is up to me. Those opposite make up the questions. The PRESIDENT : Order, members. The Minister for Transport is answering a question asked by Hon Carolyn Burton who, quite properly, is listening to the answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : There is a lot of interest in this matter. That is why I am taking a bit of time to explain what has happened. Hon Ken Travers : I’m glad you weren’t asked a question about the circular route; it would have taken forever. The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
I thank the honourable member for the question, which was without notice. (1)-(3) I am well aware of the 155 bus service; I used to catch it from time to time, though not regularly. It went from Cannington train station via Booragoon to Fremantle. I occasionally caught it to my house in Parkwood from Fremantle when I was working in Fremantle. The 155 service is one of the services that was done away with on 23 December 2007 by the former Labor government, along with other services south of the river. Bus services were redrawn completely coincident with the opening of the Mandurah rail line. When I say that the services were redrawn completely, the existing services, routes, timetables, even the bus numbers, were all exchanged for different services, numbers, timetables and so on. One of the key differences was that the onset of the railway required, in accordance with the policy of the government, that certain rail stations on that route be the focal point for bus services; that is, bus services that had formerly been trunk services that perhaps originated in, for example, the Ferndale or Willetton area, that might have collected people from dormitory suburbs then got on to a freeway express lane at Leach Highway and proceeded north to Perth were done away with, but the equivalent collector services that came on board were taken to the new hub of the Bull Creek railway station at Leach Highway. This was all up and down the south metropolitan region. Route 155 was done away with and the areas that it used to service are serviced in different ways. As an opposition member I received some adverse comment about this from former patrons of that service in 2008. Hon Sue Ellery : Are you going to reinstate it? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Does the member want to hear the answer to the question? Hon Sue Ellery : You seem to be taking a long time to get there. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : How I frame the answer is up to me. Those opposite make up the questions. The PRESIDENT : Order, members. The Minister for Transport is answering a question asked by Hon Carolyn Burton who, quite properly, is listening to the answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : There is a lot of interest in this matter. That is why I am taking a bit of time to explain what has happened. Hon Ken Travers : I’m glad you weren’t asked a question about the circular route; it would have taken forever. The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
(1)-(3) I am well aware of the 155 bus service; I used to catch it from time to time, though not regularly. It went from Cannington train station via Booragoon to Fremantle. I occasionally caught it to my house in Parkwood from Fremantle when I was working in Fremantle. The 155 service is one of the services that was done away with on 23 December 2007 by the former Labor government, along with other services south of the river. Bus services were redrawn completely coincident with the opening of the Mandurah rail line. When I say that the services were redrawn completely, the existing services, routes, timetables, even the bus numbers, were all exchanged for different services, numbers, timetables and so on. One of the key differences was that the onset of the railway required, in accordance with the policy of the government, that certain rail stations on that route be the focal point for bus services; that is, bus services that had formerly been trunk services that perhaps originated in, for example, the Ferndale or Willetton area, that might have collected people from dormitory suburbs then got on to a freeway express lane at Leach Highway and proceeded north to Perth were done away with, but the equivalent collector services that came on board were taken to the new hub of the Bull Creek railway station at Leach Highway. This was all up and down the south metropolitan region. Route 155 was done away with and the areas that it used to service are serviced in different ways. As an opposition member I received some adverse comment about this from former patrons of that service in 2008. Hon Sue Ellery : Are you going to reinstate it? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Does the member want to hear the answer to the question? Hon Sue Ellery : You seem to be taking a long time to get there. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : How I frame the answer is up to me. Those opposite make up the questions. The PRESIDENT : Order, members. The Minister for Transport is answering a question asked by Hon Carolyn Burton who, quite properly, is listening to the answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : There is a lot of interest in this matter. That is why I am taking a bit of time to explain what has happened. Hon Ken Travers : I’m glad you weren’t asked a question about the circular route; it would have taken forever. The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
Hon Sue Ellery : Are you going to reinstate it? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Does the member want to hear the answer to the question? Hon Sue Ellery : You seem to be taking a long time to get there. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : How I frame the answer is up to me. Those opposite make up the questions. The PRESIDENT : Order, members. The Minister for Transport is answering a question asked by Hon Carolyn Burton who, quite properly, is listening to the answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : There is a lot of interest in this matter. That is why I am taking a bit of time to explain what has happened. Hon Ken Travers : I’m glad you weren’t asked a question about the circular route; it would have taken forever. The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Does the member want to hear the answer to the question? Hon Sue Ellery : You seem to be taking a long time to get there. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : How I frame the answer is up to me. Those opposite make up the questions. The PRESIDENT : Order, members. The Minister for Transport is answering a question asked by Hon Carolyn Burton who, quite properly, is listening to the answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : There is a lot of interest in this matter. That is why I am taking a bit of time to explain what has happened. Hon Ken Travers : I’m glad you weren’t asked a question about the circular route; it would have taken forever. The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
Hon Sue Ellery : You seem to be taking a long time to get there. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : How I frame the answer is up to me. Those opposite make up the questions. The PRESIDENT : Order, members. The Minister for Transport is answering a question asked by Hon Carolyn Burton who, quite properly, is listening to the answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : There is a lot of interest in this matter. That is why I am taking a bit of time to explain what has happened. Hon Ken Travers : I’m glad you weren’t asked a question about the circular route; it would have taken forever. The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : How I frame the answer is up to me. Those opposite make up the questions. The PRESIDENT : Order, members. The Minister for Transport is answering a question asked by Hon Carolyn Burton who, quite properly, is listening to the answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : There is a lot of interest in this matter. That is why I am taking a bit of time to explain what has happened. Hon Ken Travers : I’m glad you weren’t asked a question about the circular route; it would have taken forever. The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
The PRESIDENT : Order, members. The Minister for Transport is answering a question asked by Hon Carolyn Burton who, quite properly, is listening to the answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : There is a lot of interest in this matter. That is why I am taking a bit of time to explain what has happened. Hon Ken Travers : I’m glad you weren’t asked a question about the circular route; it would have taken forever. The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : There is a lot of interest in this matter. That is why I am taking a bit of time to explain what has happened. Hon Ken Travers : I’m glad you weren’t asked a question about the circular route; it would have taken forever. The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
Hon Ken Travers : I’m glad you weren’t asked a question about the circular route; it would have taken forever. The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
The PRESIDENT : Members, I am very interested in this answer. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am glad that the interjection from Hon Ken Travers was brief. If it had been any longer, I might have forgotten where I was up to and I would have had to start again. Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
Hon Ken Travers : If you don’t want the Treasurer’s advance bill through, that’s fine by me. You keep delaying the house. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am not delaying the house at all. Some concerns were expressed about route 155 and about routes all over the place because that is what happens when timetables are redrawn; it inconveniences people. People do not like change. Over a period of time more concern has been expressed about this route. Several months after the changes, things normally settle down and people get used to the new arrangements. That did not happen with this bus route. I inherited the issue when we came to government. I have received representations from a number of sources, most of them in this calendar year because I was otherwise preoccupied at the tail end of last year. To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
To specifically answer the question, the Public Transport Authority has a view, which was maintained by my predecessor and which has been presented to me, on whether this route is required and whether it has been adequately replaced. I have received some representations from a number of members—state and federal—and I have even had correspondence from Hon Sheila Mills in relation to a petition or two. One of them might have been a petition that I tabled. I have an interest in this matter. That is not unusual. Some people want to come in here and disallow their own regulations. I will be writing to Hon Sheila Mills again and other members who have written to me recently about this matter to indicate that I have been having another look at this particular bus service. The 155 route or a bus with that number will not be reinstated. However, in consultation with the PTA, I will trial a roughly equivalent route from Cannington train station through to Booragoon. This will service people wanting to access the Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Centre who also like to go to Garden City Shopping Centre or Carousel Shopping Centre. The representations made to me by members of the community have persisted. There is clearly some identified need for this service from the community. It has not been a lobbying or political exercise; I think there is a genuine need. Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
Hon Sue Ellery : There certainly is for Herald Avenue. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : As a member for South Metropolitan, I take on board what the Leader of the Opposition has said. This is not enough to justify a bus route being run. A lot of people associated with or who attend Herald Avenue need the bus service to get to other places. That is the reason we will be running a service. I will provide full details of timetables and so on. It is not exactly the same as the 155 route but I will provide that to the house if anyone wants to dare ask me another question.
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