Malcolm Turnbull willing to consider funding electrification of Gawler rail line

PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull has opened the door to funding major public transport projects, including the electrification of the Gawler railway line.

PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull has opened the door to funding major public transport projects, including the electrification of the Gawler railway line.

Mr Turnbull said the Federal Government was willing to fund major public transport projects — but only if they passed rigorous assessment processes.

The Prime Minister was asked in Question Time by Labor Leader Bill Shorten if he would restore funding for the Gawler line and transport projects in three other states.

“We do not discriminate between road or rail — mass transit projects can be funded,’’ Mr Turnbull said.

“They’ve got to be assessed in a businesslike way and we have to look at more innovative approaches to financing and we are very committed to that.’’

The bus and train-loving Prime Minister said public transport was a vital piece of economic infrastructure in cities.

“The denial of public transport options in our cities discriminates against the old, the poor and the young. It is a critical matter of equity to ensure that we have good planning, urban planning across cities,’’ he said.

Mr Turnbull announced at the weekend federal support for the extension of a light rail line in the Gold Coast.

About $75 million worth of federal funds earmarked for the Gawler project were withdrawn in 2013.

Last week, Labor identified the Gawler electrification as the first South Australian infrastructure project to receive funding from his proposed $10 billion infrastructure bank if Labor wins the next election.

Michael O’Neil, Director of the South Australian Centre for Economic Studies at the University of Adelaide, said he had been shocked when the Gawler money was withdrawn.

“This is the fastest rising population in the state, from basically Gepps Cross up to Gawler, and the people are unemployed up there,” he said.

“This is a priority — you shift people to jobs or you shift jobs to people.”

The importance of good transport links in cities is highlighted in a report to be launched today by Treasurer Scott Morrison

The report by Deloitte Access Economic partner Professor Ian Harper says Australia’s future economic prosperity will depend in part on making cities, suburbs and towns more liveable.

It said focusing on creating “prosperous places’’ needed to be considered along side other issues such as tax and competition policy reform.

Suburbs and cities needed to be able to attract skilled “knowledge economy’’ workers.

“Suburbs and urban fringes languish when proximity to the inner city is reduced,’’ the report says.

“This happens as congested freeways and public transport make the commute to the inner city no longer tolerable for knowledge workers.’’

Deloitte SA managing partner Joy Burton praised the work done in Adelaide to create “flourishing places” through Renew Adelaide, the Bowden redevelopment and at the Stretton research centre in the northern suburbs.