ELECTRIC BUS TRIAL — JOONDALUP
649. Ms E.L. HAMILTON to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the McGowan Labor government's
unprecedented investment in public transport. Can the minister update the house
on the trial of electric buses in WA and outline what this could potentially
mean for the future of our bus fleet; and can the minister outline to the house
how this government's record of investing in public transport compares
with the record of the Liberal and National Parties?
Ms R.
SAFFIOTI replied:
I thank the member for Joondalup for
that question. Today, the member for Joondalup accompanied me and the member
for Forrestfield to Forrestfield to look at the first electric bus to run on
the Transperth bus network. The bus was built in Victoria and has come to WA;
it arrived only two weeks ago. This bus, along with another bus to arrive in November and two further buses, will be
trialled across the Joondalup CAT network and the northern suburbs
network next year. The plan is to expand electric buses across the network.
Today, we got to ride on the bus,
and not only is it very quiet —
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI: I thank the
Minister for Police for that contribution!
It also has more internal room. The
lithium batteries are on top and the engine, which is normally under the bus,
has been moved out, so the bus is more spacious than other buses. It is a really,
really great initiative and I am so looking forward to rolling it out.
I saw that the Leader of the Liberal
Party criticised this on Twitter.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER: Order, please,
members! Attention to the Minister for Transport, please.
Ms
R. SAFFIOTI: The Leader of the
Liberal Party criticised this initiative, saying that it was not really an
innovation. Let us look at the Leader of the Liberal Party's, I suppose,
track record on rail lines. How many times was the Thornlie–Cockburn
Link promised, member for Southern River?
Mr T.J. Healy: Every three
elections!
Ms
R. SAFFIOTI: And never delivered!
There was also the Ellenbrook rail line—promised twice, never delivered.
MAX light rail—never delivered. Today, he criticised the fact that we
have a plan to not only use electric buses but also build them in WA. We could
fully import some more of them now, but we actually want a system in which we
build our buses in WA, as we currently are with the Euro VI diesel buses. We
have a plan to not only use clean energy, but also build electric buses here in
Western Australia. That will mean that we will continue to create jobs and
bring innovation and new skills to the workforce in WA. I cannot wait to see
this bus on the Joondalup CAT service next
year, member for Joondalup. It will look very, very impressive. I cannot wait
for members of the public in Joondalup to see the new bus and
acknowledge the work that has already been done in installing vehicle charging infrastructure in Joondalup. Again, we want to
make this a sustainable, long-term project that will mean cleaner buses
and local jobs for Western Australians into the future.