Adelaide Oval ticket prices may rise as State Government cuts funding for Footy Express
Ticket prices for Adelaide football games may rise, as Crows, Power and the SMA prepare to shoulder the cost of running the Footy Express buses.
The Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide Football Clubs say they may be forced to raise ticket prices for matches at Adelaide Oval as a consequence of the State Government cutting funding for the Footy Express buses, a parliamentary committee has heard.
But Premier Steven Marshall says the “likely” increase will be “very small”.
“I think there are negotiations but I think the likely increase will be very small on footy patrons,” Mr Marshall said.
“We don’t want to make it too much harder for them to get along to a game.”
The Government announced in November last year that it would no longer subsidise the Footy Express past the 2019 season and would instead seek to recover the costs of the service from the Crows, Port Adelaide and the Stadium Management Authority.
The cost recovery model is in line with existing transport arrangements for other major sporting and entertainment events.
It is believed the Government had been chipping in over $1 million a year for the initiative.
The service allows footy fans to leave their cars at home and show their AFL game ticket for free travel to and from matches on the Footy Express buses as well as on all regular Adelaide Metro buses, trains and trams.
Since the announcement, the Government, the footy clubs and the SMA have been in negotiations about how the funding shortfall will be covered for the 2020 season onwards.
“Right about now is when we need to be making decisions because of course the two major footy clubs will be sending out their renewal notices and they need to know that information so hopefully we can resolve that in the coming days,” Mr Marshall said.
It came as Transport Department chief executive Tony Braxton-Smith on Tuesday told a parliamentary committee the football clubs “don’t like” the cost recovery model and had made a “variety of claims” about its potential impact.
“They have made claims and assertions about ticket prices, about financial liability, about a range of issues,” he said.
“It may or may not be the case that they said ticket prices would increase. It is probably the case that they have.”
Mr Braxton-Smith said he could “understand that football fans could be concerned about the price of tickets”.
The SMA and both clubs would not confirm if ticket prices would rise when contacted by The Advertiser.
“We are still in negotiation with the Government and seeking further clarity as to what the Footy Express model will look like next year with a view of providing the best possible public transport service to our members and supporters,” Port Adelaide executive general manager Matthew Richardson said.
Spokespeople for the Crows and the SMA gave similar statements.
Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas said the subsidy cut was “going to make footy less accessible”.
“That’s completely unacceptable,” he said.
“Families are already doing it tough.”
The privatisation of Adelaide’s rail network was also discussed at the parliamentary committee meeting.
Mr Braxton-Smith said it was “premature to make any definitive statements” as to whether there would be any job losses as a result of the outsourcing of the rail system.
He also revealed the Government was aiming to claw back more than $10 million a year by privatising Adelaide’s rail system, bringing in a new Adelaide Metro bus operator and through other savings initiatives.
