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the National Transport Security Working Group Standing Committee of Transport (SCOT). Comprising representatives from each State and Territory and the Commonwealth Department of Transport and Regional Service’s Office of Transport Security, the Working Group works cooperatively on transport security issues specifically to counter the threat from terrorism. Its objective is to improve security within the transport system to reduce the likelihood that the system will be a target for terrorism or other criminal acts aimed at harming people or property. (c) Yes. Background documentation has been prepared for the ports and shipping sector by Department of Transport and Regional Services (DOTARS) to assist the port and shipping industry prepare for new regulatory arrangements from 1 July in line with international requirements. This documentation on risk assessment, security planning and specifying expectations can be obtained from the Commonwealth. The Western Australian Transport Security Strategy, which has recently been printed and is to be distributed shortly to transport operators, provides a succinct summary of new measures and requirements. This document also provides a list of possible security measures that could be adopted by surface transport operators. The PTA has developed its own Security Management Plan incorporating counter terrorist measures consistent with the approach recommended in the draft national transport security strategy. (d)-(f) Yes. The Western Australian Transport Security Strategy, also dealing with the issue of terrorism and the protection of the public in other transport contexts, will soon be made available to transport operators but is not being made widely available to the public. A copy will be made available to the Member at that time. SOUTHERN RAIL LINK, PASSENGER USAGE FORECASTS 2818. Ms K. Hodson-Thomas to the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure I refer to the construction of the South West Metropolitan Railway (SWMR) and the statistics regarding projected passenger usage and ask will the Minister advise - (a) in the forecasts of total rail passengers on the line, what proportion are public transport users now (or in future) using the bus system; (b) in particular, of the passengers forecast to join the railway at Canning Bridge, how many and what proportion currently use the bus system and how much longer will it take them when using the train to complete their journey to the city than it does currently by bus; and (c) given that the SWMR will serve 400,000 people, what are the localities within which these people will be living in the catchment of the railway and in what year and specific time frame will they become users? Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN replied: (a) Currently 13,000 passengers travel on buses in the Busway on a typical weekday. This includes passengers from as far south as . Approximately 2,000 of these 13,000 passengers utilise Canning Highway bus services. Provision has been made within the New MetroRail Project for these bus services from Canning Highway to be maintained. Initial train patronage for the first year of the Southern Suburbs railway and the Thornlie Spur is estimated to be 28,500 passengers on a typical weekday. Existing bus passengers are included in this number. Therefore, it is estimated that there will be around 17,500 new public transport users each day when the service commences in 2006. This represents almost a 120 per cent increase in public transport usage in the corridor. It is also important to note that the patronage projections for the previous Government’s Kenwick Deviation also includes between 3,000 and 4,000 current bus users south of Glen Iris and current bus users between Thornlie and Glen Iris. We are unashamedly committed to getting people out of their cars and onto public transport. Buses are critical to the success of public transport in Western Australia but it is rail that is clearly able to turn those with a choice into public transport users. The Australian Bureau of Statistics publication ‘: A Social Atlas’ published in October 2002 showed by far the strongest use of public transport by commuters occurs in areas serviced by rail. By contrast it was noted that the weakest area was the South West corridor to Rockingham and Mandurah even though those areas have high frequency bus services. An analysis of public transport patronage in Perth and Adelaide, two cities of similar size and population, supports the position that rail is more likely to attract public transport passengers. Between 1993/94, the first full year of operation of the Northern Suburbs Railway, and 2002/03 public transport patronage increased in Perth by 25%. [Wednesday, 18 August 2004] 5197

In the same period in Adelaide, a predominantly bus based system with no investment in rail, public transport patronage has fallen by 8.1%. The travel time difference between rail and bus are significant. In the morning peak the comparative travel times are: Trip Fast Direct Route Bus Perth - Mandurah 48 minutes 73 minutes Perth - Rockingham 33 minutes 57 minutes Perth - Thomsons Lake 16 minutes 23 minutes The passenger carrying capacity of rail is significantly higher than buses and is better placed to cater for growth in patronage. While the initial frequency will be in the order of 12 to 16 trains per hour, the Southern Suburbs Railway will be capable of carrying 20 trains per hour in either direction. Given that a six car train will have the capacity to carry approximately 900 passengers, this potential capacity represents a passenger carrying capacity of more than 18,000 passengers per hour in one direction. To carry 18,000 in one hour, 260 buses travelling 13 seconds apart would be required. The Kwinana Freeway Busway and the City bus stations could not cope with the number of buses that would be required to carry the 18,000 passengers that could be carried by the railway. It is important to note that Canning Highway buses continuing into the City after December 2006 will still have a bus priority on-ramp at Canning Bridge, and then as the buses approach the , a further bus priority measure will commence at a point approximately adjacent to Judd Street. For all other current bus users, the railway will also provide a level of integration that currently does not exist with the bus services running on the Kwinana Freeway. Bus passengers transferring to rail at the stations along the route will have the choice of travelling north to places like Perth City and the northern suburbs or south to places like Rockingham and Mandurah. Rail passengers will also have a number of stations where they can leave the train unlike bus passengers who, once the bus is on the Freeway, cannot get off until they reach the City. Train passengers entering the City will be able to get off at the Esplanade Station with access to the Bus Port, the Convention Centre and the foreshore. This will provide convenient access to the Swan River and to events like the Sky Show. Train passengers can also get off at the new underground platforms in the heart of the City or transfer to the Fremantle, Midland or Armadale rail lines at Perth Station. Alternatively, rail passengers can remain on the train and continue to the northern suburbs or transfer to other bus services at the Wellington Street bus station. (b) As explained above in (a) passengers on buses at Canning Highway will have the option of remaining on their bus for the journey to the City or transferring to rail. The travel time by bus to the City from Canning Bridge will be six minutes by rail and around 10 minutes by bus in the peak period. However, for passengers travelling southward, for example students and staff to Murdoch University, they will have the option of transferring at Canning Bridge to a southbound train for a much more efficient journey. (c) The growth in patrons for the southern suburbs rail line will come from the existing and the expanding population in all of the southern suburbs within the local government catchments of South Perth, Melville, Cockburn, Kwinana, Rockingham, Mandurah and Murray. The suburbs that will be serviced when the railway commences in 2006 include South Perth, Como, Bentley, Manning, Applecross, Ardross, Mt Pleasant, Attadale, Alfred Cove, Melville, Booragoon, Rossmoyne, Willetton, Bullcreek, Brentwood, Bateman, Winthrop, Kardinya, Willagee, Murdoch, Leeming, Canning Vale, Bibra Lake, South Lake, Kardinya, South Lake, Jandakot, Yangebup, Beeliar, Success, Atwell, Bertram, Orelia, Parmelia, Calista, Medina, Casuarina, Leda, Wellard, Rockingham, Cooloongup, Peron, Shoalwater, Safety Bay, Warnbro, Baldivis, Port Kennedy, Secret Harbour, Karnup, Golden Bay, Singleton, Madora, Lakelands, San Remo, Meadow Springs, Mandurah, Halls Head, Greenfields, Barragup, Coodanup, Dudley Park, Erskine, Furnissdale, Yunderup, Falcon and Dawesville. SCHOOLS, MAINTENANCE, EXPENDITURE 2830. Mr B.K. Masters to the Minister for Education and Training (1) Over each of the past five years, what has been the expenditure by the Department of Education and Training on primary and secondary school maintenance throughout the State?