Watch the replay: Hills and eastern suburbs transport forum

The simmering issue of Adelaide Hills transport snarls came to a head at the region’s first public forum. Watch the full replay video of the meeting here.

A rail bypass could hold the answer to combating traffic woes in the Adelaide Hills but government officials say more studies are needed.

Hills residents joined forces on Tuesday night to send a strong message to local members during the region’s first public transport meeting in Mount Barker.

Around 250 locals gathered at Wallis Cinema to hear about solutions to address congestion on the South Eastern Freeway, including the possibility of reintroducing passenger rail.

While a strong case was made by the SA Transport Action Group for the creation of a rail bypass to free up existing lines for passenger rail, local members offered little support to what many believe could be a quick-fix solution.

This included Mayo MP Rebekha Sharkie who, despite vowing to campaign for federal funding into a dedicated transport study, would not back a community wide call for a rail service.

She said further studies were needed to find a workable solution – a statement backed by Kavel MP Dan Cregan.

It would be in addition to the recently announced $10 million Greater Adelaide Freight Bypass Planning Study.

“I think we need to have a study done to work out what it is that we actually need,” Ms Sharkie said.

“We’re talking about everything from O-Bahn, light rail, standard rail, dedicated bus lanes … I am open to all of it as I want as many people as possible to get onto public transport as they possibly can.

“But I’m also thinking that it’s a second bus ticket to Strathalbyn – so we need to make it accessible and affordable for everyone.”

The public forum on Hills transport issues. Picture: Lydia Kellner

The notion of more government-backed studies was met with resistance from residents.

Phrases including “no more studies” and “why can we just get on with it” echoed across the cinema, with one spectator taking to the microphone to openly voice her frustration.

“I just can’t believe all these people getting up saying let’s do another study, when there is a study that’s been done in detail by experts, so why do we need to spend another 10 million dollars on something that we already have,” she said.

“I don’t understand why a train is not a simple solution?”

Those in the crowd also compared the huge $10 billion spend set aside for tunnels for the final stage of the North-South Corridor with the comparatively small funds allocated for Hills transport woes.

Former senior Transport Department bureaucrat Luigi Rossi also questioned the need for more studies.

Mr Rossi, who spent 35 years as a general manager in the Department of Transport, said both rail and freight bypasses were crucial in addressing future transport issues.

He said he suggested as much in an independent study which was presented to the local council in 2018/2019.

“If you’re looking at the city in a 30 to 40 year horizon, you need to look at a fast train from the city to Mount Barker,” Mr Rossi said.

“What I’m talking about is a 22-minute journey … which would be a game changer … and my plan is to also get us to Strathalbyn, Victor Harbor and Goolwa and to Monarto, Murray Bridge and Tailem Bend.

“Passenger rail is grossly underdone and we’re the only mainland state that doesn’t have a passenger rail which services the region.”

SA Transport Action Group member and one of two key speakers of the night Maurice Parry urged government representatives to consider their business case for a freight bypass.

This, he said, included looking at studies from other states, including one from Transport New South Wales which had found trucks were causing road damage bills of 25.23 cents per kilometre.

For a truck travelling from Melbourne to Adelaide, this would equate to around $181.66.

The solution, Mr Parry said, were double stacked trains, something which is currently not feasible on the existing Hills line due to tunnels.

“If we get a bypass built, the rain line through the Adelaide Hills becomes redundant and that’s where we’re talking about using it for passenger rail transport because then, the 28.5km between Belair and Mount Barker can be converted back to broad gauge,” he said.

“It would restore the connection to Adelaide for commuter trains to go to Mount Barker and the Fleurieu Peninsula.”

Nathan Rogers (Mt Barker & District Residents Association), John Hill (SA Transport Action Group), Douglas McCarty (Mt Barker & District Residents Association) and Ian Grosser (Mt Barker District Council deputy mayor) at Wallis Cinema in Mount Barker. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

The SA Transport Action Group hosted the forum at Wallis Cinema to discuss a range of ideas, including the reintroduction of passenger rail, congestion issues on the freeway, and the potential for a road and rail bypass in and around the Hills.

Opposition transport spokesman Tom Koutsantonis, Waite MP Sam Duluk and Greens MLC Robert Simms also spoke at the forum.

Mr Koutsantonis used the forum to pledge that an elected Labor state government would use the $10m currently allocated to the freight bypass planning study to consult local and industry groups on the best transport solutions.

Mr Duluk said his priority was to keep heavy vehicles off thoroughfares like Cross Rd, while Mr Simms said better public transport was a key to solving the Hills’ broader transport woes.

Transport Minister Corey Wingard – who recently said passenger rail was not a suitable option for the region – was an apology from the meeting due to a prior commitment.

Mr Hill said transport solutions centre around the “over capacity” South Eastern freeway, which was not able to cater for future population growth in and around the Hills.

“The SA Transport Action Group has reviewed consultants’ reports and is of the view that the long-term solution to these problems is the development of a hills rail and road bypass with the former freeing up the existing rail track for passenger trains that can carry 660 or more passengers, using modern trains, in shorter time than the current express bus from Mount Barker to the city,” he said.

“These issues are of major importance to residents of both city suburbs and the Hills townships, so it’s important that we get the right people to listen.

“We hope it’s the first of many meeting to come but for now, it’s about getting the right information out there and to show that, especially rail, can be done.”

Originally published as Watch the replay: Hills and eastern suburbs transport forum