City-country funding gap prompts Opposition calls for action on public transport review

It was first announced before Labor took government, but work has finally begun to fix a problem the Opposition says has been ‘kicked down the road’.

Following Opposition calls and several delays, Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis said the Regional Public Transport Review will begin next week with findings expected later this year. Artwork: Ben Brennan

January marks three years since Labor pledged to grow the limited public transport in South Australia’s regions, but the promised review is now finally underway.

Following Opposition calls and several delays, Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis said the Regional Public Transport Review will begin next week with findings returned later this year.

In Mt Gambier, the state’s second-largest city, buses only run from 9am to 5.15pm on weekdays, while a fare from Murray Bridge to Adelaide costs $24.20 via LinkSA.

Shadow Transport Minister Ben Hood called on the government to unveil its next steps to advance the Regional Public Transport Review. Picture: NewsWire / Ben Clark

Shadow Transport Minister Ben Hood MLC, a Mt Gambier resident, said successive governments had “kicked the can down the road” but it was necessary to make public transport more accessible with an ageing population and cost of living concerns.

“The people of Mt Gambier haven’t known any better and I think that’s the reality of any public transport system – if it’s not fit for purpose, it just won’t get used,” he said.

He pointed to a 2022 study by the University of Sydney that found public transport in the Adelaide metropolitan area was funded at $273 per head, compared to $181 in the regions.

Not counting school buses, the regional figure dropped to $40.

Map showing active bus routes in Mt Gambier, with key growth areas just outside their path highlighted in yellow. Picture: City of Mount Gambier

Mr Koutsantonis said the review will “identify opportunities for better integration of public transport services in regional centres, including Mount Gambier”.

“This includes considering different and emerging service delivery models and technologies, including on demand services where this model is appropriate,” he said.

Mt Gambier Mayor Lynette Martin said she was impressed by Mt Barker’s on demand bus trial and was lobbying for one in the town.

There have been three fixed routes with “minimal change” for the last 30 years, which just skirt the town’s growing outer suburbs, according to Ms Martin.

“When people are looking to relocate, these are the sort of services they expect, and they wouldn’t anticipate that we didn’t have an adequate bus system,” she said.

In November, the Opposition promised $1.3m for a trial in the city should it win the next election.

Twenty-two million dollars per year is poured into regional public transport, having increased by about $7m per year under the current state government.