Bus Service 311

Ms LEE RHIANNON [4.13 p.m.]: I move:

1. That this House notes that:

(a) the 311 bus is the only bus available for the residents of Elizabeth Bay and Woolloomooloo to access the city, Circular Quay and Central,

(b) Potts Point residents, especially those who live closer to Woolloomooloo, also rely on the 311 bus service,

(c) on 26 April 2009 the Government introduced changes to the 311 bus service including removal of the Ithaca Road, Billyard Avenue and Onslow Street loop, plus the termination of the service at Gresham Street instead of Circular Quay,

(d) these changes have left a large number of local residents isolated and in some areas housebound,

(e) these changes were introduced with no prior consultation and in the face of vigorous local protest,

(f) more than 14,000 residents live in these areas, and if Darlinghurst and King Cross are added, the population of this extended area served by the 311 is about 25,000,

(g) in Elizabeth Bay, which is the area directly affected by the removal of the Ithaca Road, Billyard Avenue and Onslow Street loop, the percentage of residents over 65 years is 17.8 per cent, which is more than double the percentage for the city of Sydney, which is 8.2 per cent,

(h) elderly residents must now walk up a steep hill to Elizabeth Bay Road or climb 79 steps from Onslow Street to Macleay Street to reach a bus stop,

(i) at the western end of the route there is now a 200 metre walk to Circular Quay and even further to the Opera House, which, of an evening, is a potentially threatening journey for older pedestrians, and

(j) many tourists who visit Circular Quay and Elizabeth Bay House have traditionally used the 311 bus to get there, and many local visitors to Elizabeth Bay use the service to avoid traffic and parking problems.

2. That this House calls on the Government to:

(a) reinstate the Ithaca Road, Billyard Avenue and Onslow Street loop on the 311 bus service, and

(b) return the terminating point for the 311 service to Circular Quay rather than Gresham Street.

The points set out in the motion clearly establish the case for the 311 bus service to be restored to full service from Circular Quay with the loop around Elizabeth Bay. The Government should note the two key action points in the motion and the Minister, Mr Campbell, needs to respond to them. This debate would not have been necessary if the Minister, when he met with the residents, had given a clear commitment that the 311 bus service would be restored to full service. However, he failed to do that so we have had to bring on this debate as a matter of urgency.

The two action points in this motion are the call for the Government to reinstate the Ithaca Road, Billyard Avenue and Onslow Street loop on the 311 bus service, and the call to return the terminating point for the 311 bus service to Circular Quay rather than Gresham Street. This issue relates mainly to the residents of the area. The 311 bus service gives them a quality of life and enables them to access shops, doctors and hospitals, visit friends and pick up grandchildren. The issue relates also to visitors to the area, which does not have much parking, and tourists who visit both the Circular Quay area and Elizabeth Bay House. In the past many people jumped on the 311 bus service to travel to Elizabeth Bay House, but that does not happen much now.

There are many reasons that the State Transit Authority must reverse its decision to change the 311 bus route. In July 2008 the State Transit Authority proposed changes that entailed serious cuts to bus transport in the Sydney Buses eastern region. I understand that the authority received more than 300 letters and various petitions with more than 400 signatures from users of the 311 bus route, asking that the proposed changes not be made to that route. I have set out the bus route, and it is worth considering the issue of the buses. The State Transit Authority and the Minister have argued that the buses simply do not fit and the long buses cannot manoeuvre through the streets. That is not good enough. Smaller buses are available. Buses have been travelling on this route for about 80 years. Over the years the service has expanded as the area has become more densely populated. Indeed, it is the most densely populated area in Australia, and the 311 bus service is needed badly.

It is worth remembering that the 311 bus is the only public bus available for the residents of Elizabeth Bay and Woolloomooloo to access the city, Circular Quay and Central station. When I met with residents who have been disadvantaged by this cutback many of them said that in the past they went to the Opera House for a special night out, at least once a month, but are no longer able to do so because it is a considerable walk from Gresham Street to the Opera House. The case is clear. The motion sets out why the 311 bus service is needed. As we have so much business to deal with, I will leave it at that. I urge members to support the motion because it will send a clear message to the Minister that the issue needs to be resolved. Indeed, it can be resolved easily. It is the right thing to do not only for the residents but in terms of quality public transport for the city.

The Hon. JOHN AJAKA [4.17 p.m.]: As indicated earlier, the Opposition supports this motion. Indeed, the shadow Minister for Transport, Gladys Berejiklian, has moved a similar motion in the other place. The Opposition has serious concerns about the way the Government has dealt with this matter. This is another example of the Labor Government, in its usually haphazard fashion—without any real consultation, without prior warning and without consideration of continued process—simply changing the timetables and routes of buses, ferries or rail services to suit itself. Forget the residents of New South Wales; as long as the changes suit the Government and the bureaucrats that is all they care about. On 26 April 2009 the Government introduced changes to the 311 bus service without taking into account the real needs of local residents. The Government could not care less about the residents; it has made that clear today by opposing the motion to bring on this debate.

The previous speaker made it clear that the 311 bus service is the only bus service available to many residents of Elizabeth Bay and Woolloomooloo for access to the city, Circular Quay and Central station. Potts Point residents also rely on the 311 bus service. More than 14,000 residents reside in the area, and almost 18 per cent of them are over 65 years of age. Tourists to our city also rely on this service. I cannot understand how the Government, in such an arbitrary manner, can simply change a long-term bus route, removing one loop completely and terminating the service at Gresham Street instead of Circular Quay. Where is Minister David Campbell? Why has he allowed this to happen? Worst still, after the commitment he gave to the residents he has done nothing, and the Government will oppose this motion in complete disregard of his earlier commitment.

In this area many residents, particularly the elderly, do not own or drive a motor vehicle and there is a clear shortage of street parking. In this day and age, when the Government should be encouraging travelling to the city via public transport, what is it doing? It is doing the exact opposite. It has made it virtually impossible for a large number of people to access the city. Many residents rely on buses as their only means to access shopping for food, attending doctors and hospitals, and staying in contact with family and friends. The real gem is that the State Transit Authority has claimed that the new wheelchair-accessible buses are too low and will not fit around the loop. Instead of trying to resolve that problem, the Government has simply eliminated a large section of the bus route—but that has made the problem worse.

The Government's view is it is better to have no bus than a bus that is accessible to these residents. That is the way this Government handles these issues. It will not attend to them properly and could not care less about finding a solution. This is the same government that managed to waste more than $100 million on the Tcard fiasco but it cannot provide a bus service for those residents. It is a joke. This situation affects not only the 311 bus route but other transport throughout New South Wales. This matter can be remedied immediately. The Government should support the motion. It is a joke for the Government to blame all its woes on the City of Sydney council. Public transport is the Government's responsibility. Please act for the sake of those residents.

The Hon. ROBERT BROWN [4.21 p.m.]: Ms Lee Rhiannon approached me earlier seeking my support for the motion. I said that as I was a signatory to a letter to the Minister I would first seek a reply from him and that if one were provided there would be no need to move the motion. One week ago the crossbench received a representation from a lovely group of female residents of the area. Mind you, not one of them looked over 50 to me, although they were supposed to be elderly.

The Hon. Don Harwin: How many of them carry guns?

The Hon. ROBERT BROWN: Probably none, but maybe some. We were told how many steps it is from the former bus stop to the present bus stop. Obviously I am not a fit person and would probably struggle with the distance, so I have strong views on the matter. I will support the motion because the Minister furnished background notes—on plain paper with no letterhead—which is not a reply. I know that members of the Legislative Assembly sometimes regard the Legislative Council as a bit of a drag on progress. However, all crossbenchers wrote to the Minister in good faith and I expected to receive a reply, which did not happen. In those circumstances, we will support Ms Lee Rhiannon's motion.

The Hon. AMANDA FAZIO [4.23 p.m.]: I oppose this motion. I say at the outset that both Ms Lee Rhiannon and the Hon. John Ajaka have not been completely honest with the House. Transport Minister David Campbell gave a commitment not to reverse the change to the 311 bus route but to look at the issues that were raised. He did not give a commitment that the route would be changed. The issues raised by both Ms Lee Rhiannon and the Hon. John Ajaka show a complete lack of understanding of public transport planning and administration. Ms Lee Rhiannon said that we should get rid of long buses. The Government has a rollout program of new buses to improve public transport across Sydney. It is not possible, practical or feasible to try to run one or two old buses on one particular route, as Ms Lee Rhiannon suggests. I know she has no experience in administering anything much but Greens preselections, but the simple fact is that companies run a fleet of buses, not small, individual buses designed for just one route.

Ms Lee Rhiannon said that the Government has been running the same buses on that route for 80 years, which is clearly not the case. The one argument I found completely uncompelling was the excuse that the walk from Gresham Street to the Opera House is too far for these poor, hard-done-by people when they make a rare excursion to the Opera House. If they can afford to buy a ticket to an event at the Opera House, they can afford to catch a taxi from the Opera House to Elizabeth Bay. The Greens motion is simply a misrepresentation of the facts. The 311 bus route was changed after significant consultation with local residents—which my colleague will talk about later. It is simple: the new-style buses being run out of the bus depots that service this area cannot make it around the loop.

City of Sydney council has been approached to remove a few parking spaces so that the new buses can be used, but it has not complied. It would be better for Ms Lee Rhiannon to try to convince the Greens councillor on City of Sydney council to lobby the lord mayor rather than to pull a stunt in this Chamber. But if Ms Lee Rhiannon does not have confidence in Councillor Harris it is a reflection on the Greens and not something that should be raised in this Chamber. The Hon. John Ajaka revealed that he does not have any concept of what he is talking about. I know he complained that he had been thrown in at the last minute to deliver a speech on the motion. He offered the excuse that the new buses cannot go around the loop because they are too low. The fact is that new buses are low so that they are accessible for people with mobility problems, and for wheelchairs and prams. The buses cannot get around the loop not because they are too low but because they are too long.

In response to the impassioned plea from the Hon. John Ajaka, my one comment is that I did not know he was a graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art. I find his new-found passion for the people of Elizabeth Bay a bit rich. I have sympathy for residents who can no longer use the bus service but I think their campaign is misdirected. They ought to be talking to City of Sydney council to get parking arrangements in the bus loop changed so that the new buses fit, rather than coming here at the behest of the Greens and being used as tools in Ms Lee Rhiannon's Senate campaign. I urge members to oppose the motion. The Government has a strong commitment to public transport. It will have 300 new buses on the road by the end of next year, on time and on budget. We simply cannot pluck one or two old buses from a fleet that will no longer be maintained and use them on a bus route to suit the convenience of a very small number of residents. The Government will not countenance that proposal.

I urge members to be realistic in their consideration of this motion and not support what is obviously a stunt by Ms Lee Rhiannon. While we probably all have sympathy for people who can no longer access public transport services that they are used to having, we should turn our attention to the people of New South Wales who do not have an issue with walking 400 metres to a bus stop because there is no bus in their area. That is an issue.

The Hon. John Ajaka: That is your fault.

The Hon. AMANDA FAZIO: I respond to the Hon. John Ajaka by reminding him that the Greiner Government closed train services in New South Wales—we have opened new ones. I think the members opposite are just showing how two-faced and hypocritical they are. They must be feeling very cold this winter because they are snuggling up to the Greens so much that it really is quite unconscionable.

Mr IAN COHEN [4.29 p.m.]: I have listened with interest to all the contributions in this debate, and I will not go over material that has already been covered by Opposition members and Ms Lee Rhiannon. The argument that has been made is quite clear, but I wish to add a few points. The first is that we are talking about people living in the inner city, where we are trying to encourage public transport use. These people are asking for public transport, and I think they should be applauded for wanting to use those facilities and for living in an area that is advantageous to them and their community—the inner city.

I invite the Hon. Amanda Fazio to come for a walk with me on the pathways that have been referred to; they are damned difficult to negotiate. I walk them regularly. I also pushbike the area. It is a very hilly, steep area, and I am appalled by the disparaging comments made about people with mobility issues in terms of their parking at the end of Gresham Street or at Circular Quay. Generally speaking, able-bodied people often do not recognise the difficulties that disabled or aged people encounter when dealing with just simple things such as getting public transport. To them this issue is very important.

I am appalled also by the reaction of the Minister to a joint letter from the crossbench members. As is our role in this place, we discussed this matter at a crossbench meeting some time ago and decided to write a letter to the Minister before moving this motion. Call it grandstanding if you like, but we decided to take this lobbying action, knowing that the representations of these same people to the Minister had fallen on deaf ears. That clearly indicates where the Labor Government is at. Interestingly, I recall being in a similar position to that which these residents find themselves—when I had an injured knee on one occasion. When I was working I generally took the 381 bus, which looped off Bondi Road. That is also an intensely-populated area, and I am sure that everyone—Government and Opposition alike—would encourage people living in that area to use buses rather than private transport for what is a relatively short distance to town. The 381 bus route looped from Bondi Road to Fletcher Street, Denham Street and back to Bondi Road, and people had an opportunity to catch that bus along that route.

When the 381 bus route was removed I made representations in Parliament to Carl Scully, who was then the Minister for Transport, and his office contacted me. There was only the main road bus route, which was difficult for me to get to in my condition at the time. I could imagine people coming from near Tamarama, which is a very steep area, to the tiny local shopping centre, where they could buy a paper or drop off dry-cleaning, and then get on a bus nearby. Having to go another 400 metres to the main road required additional effort for people rushing to get to work and so on. The Minister heard what I was saying and reinstated that section of the route. I think the buses were less frequent, but they came around the loop, and that provided a service to more people.

The Hon. Duncan Gay: They should have voted Carl in as Premier.

Mr IAN COHEN: I acknowledge the interjection. In hindsight they may have done well to do that. Minister Scully reinstated that route; it was a simple thing, and I thanked him officially in the Parliament for that. But we are getting no response now from the Labor Government despite reasoned, polite and appropriate submissions from the crossbench. We have got to this point today in the House not to grandstand, but because of necessity. I certainly support the motion.

Reverend the Hon. FRED NILE [4.34 p.m.]: I realise that by debating this motion we are cutting into the time allocated for Government Business over the time remaining today and tomorrow. It is a dilemma. However, after meeting with the residents I am of the view that we cannot ignore their plight. As has been stated, the crossbench sent a joint letter to the Minister simply asking him to say, "Yes, I will restore the bus route and the original buses while the matter is being further investigated." That is all he had to do. With the stroke of a pen the matter could have been resolved. But the response of the Minister is that he wants the status quo to remain. He has made a brick wall response—that is, no response.

The motion is very simple. It calls on the Government to reinstate the Ithaca Road, Billyard Avenue and Onslow Street loop on the 311 bus service and return the terminating point for the 311 service to Circular Quay rather than Gresham Street. I know that there are a lot of practical problems, that the Government is being blocked by the City of Sydney council and for some reason by Lord Mayor Clover Moore, but those problems are matters for the Government and the city council to resolve. The Government should simply restore the bus route while discussions are conducted about parking areas and so on. Clearly the Minister has underestimated the physical problems faced by residents in the area. He has shown a lack of compassion, a lack of concern and a lack of intelligence. Therefore, we support the motion.

The Hon. PENNY SHARPE (Parliamentary Secretary) [4.37 p.m.]: No-one denies that access to public transport is of vital importance to every individual who relies on that transport, but some of the comments made by members in this debate today were quite outrageous. It has been suggested that there was no community consultation, that there were no discussions about the issue. I have been intimately involved with changes and issues surrounding the 311 bus route since last year. The issue is not as simple as people have made out today in this debate. There are issues about the size of the buses. It is true that we are upgrading our buses, and we are doing so because we want all of them to be accessible to people with prams and people with mobility issues. The difficulty is—and we are trying to achieve a balance in all of this—that the new buses cannot negotiate the loop. The reality is that the only way that the 311 bus can get around the loop is to change parking arrangements along the route. It is simply incorrect to suggest that the Government—

Ms Sylvia Hale: You could change the bus.

The Hon. PENNY SHARPE: No, actually we cannot change the bus.

The Hon. Duncan Gay: Well, why did you buy one that was inappropriate?

The Hon. PENNY SHARPE: To suggest that we could simply change the bus—

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Duncan Gay and other members will cease interjecting. Members agreed to this matter being debated so presumably they are of the view that it is important. The member with the call is entitled to contribute to the debate without interruption.

The Hon. PENNY SHARPE: If the answer were as simple as just changing the bus, the Minister would have done that. This decision has not been taken lightly. The Minister has had to balance a whole range of concerns. For members to suggest otherwise is merely an exercise in opportunistic political point scoring and playing up to particular people in the gallery today. It is absolutely wrong to suggest that the answer can be found in changing the bus; wave a magic wand and the problem is solved. Managing a bus fleet is complex: it is about getting people in and out of the city and about buses negotiating the very small streets around Elizabeth Bay. If an older bus were put back on the route, those who currently are able to use the service would be completely locked out because the older buses do not cater for their needs. They would have no voice in this debate whatsoever. Those who would miss out on the service because they would be unable to access the old buses are not here and we cannot talk to them about it.

I want to take members through what has happened. All of our bus routes undergo periodic review. The contracts of the Ministry of Transport require each operating region to implement an integrated network plan within the first three years of the life of its seven-year contract. Community input is vital to any review of bus services. That is why State Transit and the Ministry of Transport went to the public for their views on the proposed changes to the 311 bus service. During June and July 2008, comprehensive public consultation took place on proposed changes to the eastern suburbs bus network, which included alterations to the 311 route. The network review was guided by the underlying principles of strengthening it and providing simpler, more direct and regular services to meet the needs of the community.

Approximately 3,200 submissions were received in this overall review. To suggest there was not public consultation is simply false. The community gave its views, including its views on the 311 bus route. State Transit listened and included feedback in the planning process. As a result, not all of the original proposals put out to the community for consultation on the 311 service were adopted.

The PRESIDENT: Order! I call the Hon. Trevor Khan to order for the first time.

The Hon. PENNY SHARPE: The community asked State Transit to retain access to Central Station and to retain the use of Elizabeth Street and William Street. These links have been maintained. However, the termination of services at Gresham Street and the removal of the Billyard Avenue loop in Elizabeth Bay have proceeded. One of the key reasons these changes needed to be made to the 311 route was to enable the introduction of the new, low-floor air conditioned buses to meet the needs of parents with prams, the elderly and less mobile passengers.

As I have said before, there is the issue of parking. Members cannot deny that with the small streets around that area and the large number of apartments, parking is an issue. Anyone who has spent any time in that area knows that. There are real problems also with illegal parking. I am advised that bus drivers have had to call the Roads and Traffic Authority and go doorknocking around the streets on some occasions to get the bus around the loop because vehicles are blocking the route. That situation cannot be sustained on any bus route in this city; it would not facilitate the operation a reliable bus service, which the public need.

State Transit and the New South Wales Government would like to run the buses around the Billyard-Ithaca-Onslow loop. However, the City of Sydney has refused to agree to changes to parking or to provide bus zones that meet the requirements of the Australian road rules to facilitate modern buses. We cannot get away from that fact. State Transit raised these issues with the council as long ago as October 2008 but the council has refused to accommodate these requests. It is ridiculous that the Lord Mayor and the City of Sydney prefer to accommodate parked cars than parents and the very people who are in this Chamber today who need access to that loop.

The Government calls on the Lord Mayor to make the changes required so this loop can be reinstated. In the meantime the current hours of operation and frequencies on route 311 have been maintained. I am also advised that walking distances remain within bus service planning guidelines. I understand that it is a hilly area and that it is difficult for some people. However, it is within the guidelines and it is the same standard that applies to all bus routes across Sydney.

With regard to the relocation of the central business district terminus for the 311 route to Gresham Street, I am advised this alteration was required to ease congestion around Circular Quay. Again, no-one in this House can deny how busy the Circular Quay bus interchange is. The Government and State Transit are trying to manage a huge volume of buses in that area. The new terminus is one block back from the original terminus and follows the successful transition of a number of other routes to Gresham Street. It is expected that these changes will substantially reduce the overcrowding of services at Circular Quay.

It is important to inject some reality into the decisions that have to be made about this bus route. This is one bus route of many. There has been considerable public consultation and the Minister has listened at length to a number of different representations from members in both Houses, including those on the crossbenches. He has also met residents about this issue. There is no easy solution. We need to provide bus routes that are accessible to as many people as possible and that means there is a need to upgrade to new buses, and that means that we need to change that loop. We need to work with the City of Sydney to remove those parking spaces to make that happen.

There was no need for this debate to come on today. The Government is well aware of the issues facing residents in this area and we are taking them very seriously. To suggest otherwise is simply false and outrageous. The Government is not in a position to support this motion because the situation cannot change even if this motion is passed. There are practical realities related to that. We continue to try to work with the City of Sydney and call on the City of Sydney to get serious about allowing access to that loop, which will require the removal of parking spaces.

The PRESIDENT: Order! I thank members for respecting the right of members to speak freely and be heard. I now invite Ms Lee Rhiannon to reply and ask that she be accorded the same respect.

Ms LEE RHIANNON [4.45 p.m.], in reply: Thank you, Mr President, for your comments. The debate has certainly established the need for a full restoration of the 311 bus service. I note that all members acknowledge sympathy for the difficulties that the residents are facing with the loss of the current service and, while there was a variation in responses after that sympathy was extended, it is important to acknowledge that everybody who participated in the debate recognised that people are facing real difficulties in this area because of the loss of parts of the 311 service.

The contributions of Ms Penny Sharpe and Ms Amanda Fazio exposed the bankruptcy of the Government's arguments that masquerade as transport policy. That unfolded clearly because there was an attempt to blame the Sydney city council. As our cities become more dense and problems arise that need to be resolved, planning and transport are clearly a challenge. The Government has an enormous responsibility. The State Transit Authority manages these buses and the outcome here is that they did not plan properly for the upgrade of the buses. Ms Sharpe's comments have clearly exposed that, and I will deal with that in more detail.

My colleague on the City of Sydney council, Greens Councillor Chris Harris, has been working extensively on this issue with the residents who are campaigning for the restoration of the 311 bus service, and he has brought a co-operative style to trying to achieve that end. I had hoped Ms Sharpe and Ms Fazio would acknowledge that rather than try to shift the blame to the City of Sydney council. There are challenges here but the challenges can be easily met. If a bus service has existed for 80 years, surely we can continue to have that service. Life should improve, not go backwards. We understand that there are 35 car parking spaces that need to be removed. That really is not a big issue because there is so little car parking space there in any event. If that will facilitate public transport, we need to move on it. It is the Government that has failed. It has failed because it did not purchase a shorter bus that is wheelchair accessible when the service was upgraded. I was amazed at Ms Sharpe's comments that the Government could not do anything about the buses. The design fault lies with the Government. There are shorter buses that are wheelchair accessible and they should have been built—

The Hon. Amanda Fazio: Point of order: I am having difficulty following Ms Le Rhiannon's speech because of the continual conversation of Dr John Kaye in a loud voice. I ask you to direct him to cease his conversation.

The PRESIDENT: Order! I ask all members to desist from having loud conversations in the Chamber.

Ms LEE RHIANNON: This bus size issue is critical to the return of the 311 bus service. I agree with Labor members who said that we should not be debating this issue. We should not have to take up the time of the House debating one small bus service in this city. However, the Greens had to do that in order to get this Government to do the right thing. It should be remembered that a number of bus services in Sydney that are currently operating short buses will require them for many years to come. Why can those buses not operate on the 311 service? As Labor members are having difficulty with this matter I will place on the record all those bus services in Sydney that have short buses that could be used on the 311 service. The bus services that operate short buses include: the 309, the 315, the 316, the 323, the 324, the 325, the 326, the 327, the 355, the 374, the 379, the 380 and the 389.

Some of those buses could be allocated to the 311 service to restore it to its full capacity and to alleviate the hardship being suffered by many elderly people, some of whom are quite active and some of whom have serious mobility problems and who thus have great difficulty climbing steep stairs. This debate was useful. Labor members who contributed to the debate said that the Government wanted to resolve this issue. The Government can resolve this issue by providing short buses and by working things out with City of Sydney council. This Government is on the record as saying that it wants to sort out this issue. We know that the Government has to get rid of some parking spaces. It should bring back short buses and restore this service and let members get back to doing their job.

Question—That the motion be agreed to—put.

The House divided. Question resolved in the affirmative.

Motion agreed to.