Public Transport

Mr ALLAN SHEARAN: Can the Minister for Transport update the House on the Iemma Government's efforts to improve transport services for the residents of western and north-western Sydney?

The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Hawkesbury to order.

Mr JOHN WATKINS: The Government's record spending of $5.9 billion on public transport will help deliver projects that will help working families right across New South Wales but, in particular, in western and north-western Sydney. It will deliver to one of the fastest-growing areas of Sydney, indeed Australia—Sydney's west and north-west. A key component of this massive public transport investment is the purchase of new, environmentally friendly buses for private operators in metropolitan Sydney and outer metropolitan areas. The new buses will replace the older models in the fleet and additional new buses will cope with the growth occurring in particular in the north-western sector.

The Government's bus reform program has come a long way in quite a short time. We started the bus reform with virtually perpetual contracts and exclusive rights, a planning regime that ignored passengers, a funding model with limited accountability and, at the end of the day, an unviable industry. Members need not accept my word on that; they can speak to the Bus and Coach Association and private bus operators, who suffered a dramatic drop in patronage. They welcomed the bus reform put forward by the Government.

The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Hawkesbury to order for the second time. I call the member for Cessnock to order for the second time.

Mr JOHN WATKINS: Sydney had 87 fragmented contract areas, which have now been consolidated into 15 contract regions, with new performance-based contracts. I take this opportunity to again thank the private bus industry for its cooperation in reforming this important industry. In 2008-09 the Government is spending $49 million on the new buses delivered for private operators in metropolitan Sydney and outer metropolitan areas. That means around 42 new replacement buses for the private operators serving Western Sydney, the Blue Mountains and the Macarthur area, and 40 new buses are being provided to meet passenger growth across metropolitan and outer metropolitan areas. Of these, around 23 will be required in the Western Sydney region. This means twenty new buses for Hillsbus and an additional three for Busways.

This will add to the 229 new air-conditioned, wheelchair accessible buses approved for Western Sydney operators since the commencement of the new contracts. These new buses have been introduced as patronage in Western Sydney bus services has been steadily increasing. For example, since the signing of the metropolitan bus system contract for the north-west sector in August 2005 there have been more than 8.4 million passenger journeys on M2 bus services alone. Patronage over the past 12 months has grown by 14 per cent—a huge increase in public transport on the M2 bus corridor—and it seems as though that growth is continuing.

The Government is purchasing 20 new buses for Hillsbus to help cater for that growth on the M2. We expect that all 20 will be operational by the end of February 2009, based on current patronage trends. In addition to these, Hillsbus is also getting seven new, air-conditioned low-floor buses to replace existing vehicles. As part of our drive to further improve services for our passengers, today I announce that planning is under way to build a new $14-million bus parking facility on the Warringah Freeway at Cammeray to improve afternoon service reliability the bus services to Sydney's north and north-west.

Mr Alan Ashton: Is that near Willoughby?

Mr JOHN WATKINS: It is near Willoughby but it will serve bus services running through Willoughby. It is vital that buses are able to park close to the city before they begin their runs to make sure their services start on time. The new facility will mean that buses can safely layover there and use Warringah Freeway and Sydney Harbour Bridge with the bus lane to come into the York Street area for the afternoon peak period. Many members would know the area I am speaking of, just below Miller Street, on the Warringah Expressway, a large stone wall that runs from Miller Street around to Alfred Street, where there will be a parking bay for up to 35 buses. In the afternoon peak period it will cater for more than 35 buses. As buses leave, others will arrive. The alternative is that buses begin their run out along the M2 in Western Sydney and risk traffic congestion, which will delay them getting into the city and delay the start of their homeward journey.

It is particularly important to have the afternoon peak homeward journey operate on time so that office workers catch their buses in York Street on time and return to their families on time. The facility at Cammeray will serve Hillsbus, Forest Coaches, State Transit and other buses from northern and north-western Sydney. Investigations, which have commenced, will include an environmental assessment involving stakeholder and community consultation. Alternative interim parking locations for the buses are being examined while we build the new facility, and we expect work on the facility to commence later this calendar year.

The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Wakehurst to order.

Mr JOHN WATKINS: This new infrastructure will support better, more reliable public transport services for Western Sydney passengers. People will use public transport if it is safe, reliable and comfortable. This is one of the ways we can improve the reliability of buses leaving the central business district in the evening. The Government is doing much more for Western Sydney, such as completion of Tways, which are growing incredibly, reform of the network, and reviews to provide much better bus routes for the people of north-west and Western Sydney. These are more plans to improve services for the good people of this State.

The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Willoughby to order.