$80m cut to WA transport authority will 'choke our roads': Mark McGowan

Date
    December 27, 2015
    WA Today

An $80 million cut to WA's Public Transport Authority over three years will result in less train and bus services, according to Labor leader Mark McGowan.   

The cuts to the PTA follow the state government's dismal mid-year budget review, which on December 21 revealed the State's debt had blown out to an unprecedented $3.1 billion for 2015-16.   

Despite the Caolin Barnett government saying Perth's already stretched frontline public transport services wouldn't be impacted by the PTA cuts, Mr McGowan suggested any cuts to the authority - by default - would do just that.

"The PTA is a front-line agency, if you cut it, you're cutting train services," he said.

"To cut $80 million out will mean a significant hit to public transport services, rail and buses in Perth and that will mean more congestion on our roads.   

"Our city will choke, our roads will choke."

A month before the mid-year review was released, Transport Minister Dean Nalder had denied rumours of looming budget cuts to the transport network on Radio 6PR.

"No, no, my officers and I aren't doing any investigations on cutting services within transport – I haven't asked the department to consider any cuts and they haven't come to me with specific cuts so it's not true," he said.

"We've just gone through a 30 per cent expansion on the bus fleet, we're currently going through a 28 per cent expansion on the train fleet, it's not as though we're going to be doing that work and be turning around and cutting it, it just doesn't make sense.

"I can assure you we will not be touching frontline services within the Department of Transport."

On Sunday, Treasurer Mike Nahan again moved to reassure the public that front-line services would not be impacted by the budget cuts,  which require the PTA to save about $25 million a year over three years.

Mr Nahan claimed the cuts were to improve efficiency.

"The agency expenditure review reflects the fact that the total operating subsidy provided to the Public Transport Authority is estimated to increase by $190 million from 2014-15 to 2018-19," he said.

"The expected cost recovery rate for metropolitan public transport services has decreased from 31.4 per cent in 2014-15 to 30.2 per cent in 2015-16 due to declining patronage and smaller fare increases relative to those assumed in 2014-15 budget.

"This means we have to focus rigorously on getting costs down in the public transport sector."

    What happened to all the money from the mining boom. Liberal governments are the worst money managers ever.   

Commenter
    Raven
Date and time
    December 27, 2015, 9:48PM

The mining tax and carbon tax and Green industrial terrorism have driven most of the mining investment away.

Rudd, Gillardand their comrade Geens sprayed Roundup on the money tree I'm afraid.   

Quote:


...........when the boom is over, the revenue drops.  Govt either increases taxes, sells assets, goes into debt or makes cuts to budget expenditure.

Grappler Deep State Feller wrote on Dec 28^th, 2015 at 10:25am:


I did mention that Mr Grappler.....put your glasses on....

With all of the CORRUPT and IRRESPONSIBLE politicians which are present in Australian parliaments, Australia urgently needs this type of political reform, imo;

Google;




.....a means by which ANGRY voters can seek set in motion a lawful process, to demand a new election, and thereby remove CORRUPT [election promises, blatantly broken] and IRRESPONSIBLE politicians, mid-term.

Swagman wrote on Dec 28^th, 2015 at 10:45am:


No point putting a tax on right whiners most of them pay none.