❓ The Minister for Transport details improvements to WA's public transport, highlighting the introduction of electric buses and depot upgrades. They contrast the government's investment with the opposition's alleged plans for higher fares.
AnsweredQoN 391Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
391. MR S.J. PRICE to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the Cook Labor
government's commitment to delivering accessible and affordable public
transport services.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house how this government continues to make improvements to
WA's public transport network?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house whether she is aware of anyone who does not share the
government's strong support for public transport?
Mr D.T. Punch : Who could that be, I wonder?
391. MR S.J. PRICE to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the Cook Labor
government's commitment to delivering accessible and affordable public
transport services.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house how this government continues to make improvements to
WA's public transport network?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house whether she is aware of anyone who does not share the
government's strong support for public transport?
Mr D.T. Punch : Who could that be, I wonder?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) Jeez, I do not know who that could be! I thank
the member for the question.
Today was another big milestone in
the transformation of our public transport network around the state. The
Premier and I visited our first new electric bus to come out of the Malaga
depot.
As
members would all recall, there was a commitment from this government to help
start the transformation of our buses to electric, and there was a key
commitment of the Albanese opposition and now government to support us in that
quest. We started a trial and, member for Joondalup, we saw the electric
central area transit bus running around Joondalup. We measured a couple of
things, including whether we had the charging
infrastructure right, understanding the energy that was required to run air
conditioning throughout the peak of
summer, and a number of other key tests. The tests and the trial were very
successful. Since then, we have started transforming the Malaga depot to
become the manufacturing place where our new electric buses will be made. Today, the first electric CAT bus made in WA came
out of that facility. Some key facts since the trial began are that the
Joondalup CATs carried more than 440 000 passengers and covered more than 380 000
kilometres, saving about 350 000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in the
process.
Our investment will see the
production of the new buses and the conversion of the depots and facilities to
have the necessary charging infrastructure. We are starting by transforming the
charging infrastructure at Elizabeth Quay to support electric city CATs. We are
also about to embark on significant upgrades to the depots at Malaga, Karrinyup
and Claisebrook to support charging our bus network. Importantly, although purchasing electric buses costs more
initially, it saves money over time. It is estimated that the cost of
running an electric bus will save about $1 million over 18 years. Basically, it
saves the amount the fuel would cost. This is a very good initiative that will
save money over the long term and also contribute to combating climate change.
As I said, by the middle of next
year, 18 electric CAT buses will be in service, and we will continue to
transform the depot. We met a lot of workers at the depot today who are very
happy to be part of this transformation. The
depot has over a hundred workers, including apprentices who are learning about
and training on electric vehicles. It is about not only making sure that
we get a quality and cheaper product in the longer term, but also training Western
Australians. The feedback from one person to us was ''Thanks very much
for the jobs.'' The depot employs adult apprentices and younger
apprentices who are learning to manufacture and build our buses, particularly
electric vehicles and the technology that comes with that. It is a very proud
achievement. When members see the first one—I thought it would be out
there tomorrow, but we are still licensing it, so it will be a few more weeks—it
will be the most stunning bus members will ever see. It is an incredible bus.
It is too good to use; I wanted to keep it there! That is the first of many, as
we keep transforming.
Our plan for public transport is
cheaper and more affordable fares, new technology and servicing the state. What
is the opposition's plan? Apart from the National Party being able to
use our CAT bus system, what is its plan? It is higher prices and higher fares.
That is what the Liberal Party has committed to. The good people of Dawesville
and Mandurah who are currently getting capped fares would not get capped fares
under a Liberal–National government. Every time opposition members get
the chance, they criticise the public transport subsidy that we are providing.
The only alternative is to not subsidise public transport, and that would mean higher fares. We know where the
Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Liberal Party stand. They
stand for higher fares for people living in Western Australia, reducing or
eliminating the subsidy, and increasing public transport fares for Western Australians.
We are very proud of the transformation we are making, whether it be our
Metronet plan, our buses or, of course, our new plan for ferries that we are
still working on, and of the work we are doing around regional WA to support
affordable and accessible public transport.
the member for the question.
Today was another big milestone in
the transformation of our public transport network around the state. The
Premier and I visited our first new electric bus to come out of the Malaga
depot.
As
members would all recall, there was a commitment from this government to help
start the transformation of our buses to electric, and there was a key
commitment of the Albanese opposition and now government to support us in that
quest. We started a trial and, member for Joondalup, we saw the electric
central area transit bus running around Joondalup. We measured a couple of
things, including whether we had the charging
infrastructure right, understanding the energy that was required to run air
conditioning throughout the peak of
summer, and a number of other key tests. The tests and the trial were very
successful. Since then, we have started transforming the Malaga depot to
become the manufacturing place where our new electric buses will be made. Today, the first electric CAT bus made in WA came
out of that facility. Some key facts since the trial began are that the
Joondalup CATs carried more than 440 000 passengers and covered more than 380 000
kilometres, saving about 350 000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in the
process.
Our investment will see the
production of the new buses and the conversion of the depots and facilities to
have the necessary charging infrastructure. We are starting by transforming the
charging infrastructure at Elizabeth Quay to support electric city CATs. We are
also about to embark on significant upgrades to the depots at Malaga, Karrinyup
and Claisebrook to support charging our bus network. Importantly, although purchasing electric buses costs more
initially, it saves money over time. It is estimated that the cost of
running an electric bus will save about $1 million over 18 years. Basically, it
saves the amount the fuel would cost. This is a very good initiative that will
save money over the long term and also contribute to combating climate change.
As I said, by the middle of next
year, 18 electric CAT buses will be in service, and we will continue to
transform the depot. We met a lot of workers at the depot today who are very
happy to be part of this transformation. The
depot has over a hundred workers, including apprentices who are learning about
and training on electric vehicles. It is about not only making sure that
we get a quality and cheaper product in the longer term, but also training Western
Australians. The feedback from one person to us was ''Thanks very much
for the jobs.'' The depot employs adult apprentices and younger
apprentices who are learning to manufacture and build our buses, particularly
electric vehicles and the technology that comes with that. It is a very proud
achievement. When members see the first one—I thought it would be out
there tomorrow, but we are still licensing it, so it will be a few more weeks—it
will be the most stunning bus members will ever see. It is an incredible bus.
It is too good to use; I wanted to keep it there! That is the first of many, as
we keep transforming.
Our plan for public transport is
cheaper and more affordable fares, new technology and servicing the state. What
is the opposition's plan? Apart from the National Party being able to
use our CAT bus system, what is its plan? It is higher prices and higher fares.
That is what the Liberal Party has committed to. The good people of Dawesville
and Mandurah who are currently getting capped fares would not get capped fares
under a Liberal–National government. Every time opposition members get
the chance, they criticise the public transport subsidy that we are providing.
The only alternative is to not subsidise public transport, and that would mean higher fares. We know where the
Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Liberal Party stand. They
stand for higher fares for people living in Western Australia, reducing or
eliminating the subsidy, and increasing public transport fares for Western Australians.
We are very proud of the transformation we are making, whether it be our
Metronet plan, our buses or, of course, our new plan for ferries that we are
still working on, and of the work we are doing around regional WA to support
affordable and accessible public transport.
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