Jenny Leong MP, Greens Member for Newtown has asked the Minister for Transport to expand planned upgrades for Redfern Station to include lifts for platforms 11 and 12 to make it fully accessible.
HANSARD EXTRACT:
Ms JENNY LEONG (Newtown) (15:13): My question is directed to the Minister for Transport and Roads. Given the fantastic news of the $100 million accessibility upgrade at Redfern station to provide lifts for platforms one to 10, will the Minister commit to expanding the scope of the planned works to include lifts for platforms 11 and 12 so that we can finally tick off our list making Redfern station fully accessible? As the Government's election slogan said, "Let's get it done!"
Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE (Bega—Minister for Transport and Roads) (15:14): I am making transport great again. I say to those opposite: That is how you ask a question. What a fantastic question. I am talking about $100 million. It is as close to a compliment as we will get from the member for Newtown. There are substratum challenges at platforms 11 and 12 at Redfern. There is a preliminary investigation.
Dr Hugh McDermott: Time.
Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE: Are you saying time? I will have time; they will have time out. There are some substratum challenges in relation to platforms 11 and 12 and some preliminary investigations are going on. Redfern station is the sixth-busiest train station on the network. In 2015 we put a lift in to platforms six and seven at Redfern station, and we will provide six lifts that will make platforms one to 10 accessible. There is nothing more important that any government can do than ensure that people with disability, in particular, have access to transport. It is the biggest human rights barrier that exists in this regard. At the last State election this Government very proudly brought forward a plan to ensure that 68 additional stations are made accessible across the network. About 90 per cent of commuters now have access to accessible stations.
We are making sure that we provide access in many stations across the network. I want to single out Goulburn, East Hills and Dubbo as the types of places that we are also building on and great local members who do the right thing, like the member for Newtown. She sat down with transport staff and raised her concerns. We will continue to look at what we can do in terms of substratum. I remind the House that when we came to office only two stations a year were being upgraded. We inherited the City Circle, which did not have full lift access. The Minister for Transport at the time, now our wonderful Premier, ensured that that happened. We will continue to invest. We have a great program of 68 stations to come due to the great financial management of the Government.
