This update contains information about the new Members of Parliament and the current status of the Flinders Link project. The dust is settling after the March State Election, votes for the Legislative Council are still being counted and contact details relevant to Flinders Link are listed at the end of this update. POST-ELECTION CHANGES Obviously, Hon Steven Marshall, Member for Dunstan is the new Premier. He announced the sacking of four senior public servants including the Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, Micheal Deegan. I am not sure who the new chief executive will be. The new Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government: Hon Stephan Knoll, MP for Schubert. The former Shadow Transport Minister, Hon David Pisoni, Member for Unley – who was involved in local community discussions about Flinders Link and on the Public Works Committee – is now the Minister for Industry and Skills. The New Shadow Minister for Transport and Infrastructure has just been announced as Mr Tom Koutsantonis. The new Member for Elder, Ms Carolyn Habib was sworn in last week (4 April 2018) and is now the Assistant Minister for Domestic and Family Violence Prevention. The future of Hon Kelly Vincent’s place in the Legislative Council is still to be decided. The Electoral Commission of SA says the “Final declaration of the Legislative Council will be advised by ECSA and is anticipated to be mid-April.” Media reports suggest Ms Vincent is unlikely to retain her spot, leaving parliament without a strong voice for people with disabilities. FLINDERS LINK PROJECT STATUS The (Federal) Australian Government Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development says Flinders Link is “in planning” and “Construction is expected to commence mid 2018 and to be completed mid 2019” (http://investment.infrastructure.gov.au/projects/ProjectDetails.aspx?Project_id=062838-15SA-NP). The latest official news about the Flinders Link Project is to be found on the Flinders Link Project web page by the State Government Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure (https://infrastructure.sa.gov.au/major_projects/flinders_link). Before the election, both major parties committed to constructing a ‘new Tonsley station’. Does this mean a replacement of the existing Clovelly Park station or the existing Tonsley station? Labor was offering a new station adjacent to Alawoona Avenue which was too far north for existing Tonsley station users (the plan and pictures shared by then local Member Annabel Digance match the Clovelly Park Station Upgrade proposed as part of the Tonsley Park Public Transport Project in 2013). Liberal pledged to “pursue ongoing access to public transport for local residents along the Tonsley line” and to “undertake detailed planning for fixing the train stations on the Tonsley line, including options to rebuild the Tonsley train station.” Let’s be clear that the existing Tonsley station is being ‘removed’ and not ‘moved’ to Alawoona Avenue. Our suburb currently has three stations: Mitchell Park (near Celtic Avenue), Clovelly Park (at Alawoona Ave to be renamed Tonsley) and Tonsley (near Sturt Rd to be demolished). The most recent Flinders Link plan leaves our suburb with only two stations: Mitchell Park and Clovelly Park (to be renamed Tonsley). The suburb is going from 3 stations to 2 – there is plainly 1 missing - a ‘removing’ of our station near Sturt Rd. Maths don’t lie! If Flinders Link were truly ‘moving’ our station, we would still have 3 stations along the line in our suburb. Meanwhile a new station will be built at the end of the line, uphill, in a different suburb (Bedford Park). Regarding the ‘moving’ and ‘removing’ of transport services, Adelaide Metro announced today that Bus Stop 28 on Sturt Road will be permanently removed from 17 April 2018 because of the new Birch Cr/Sturt Rd intersection. This will increase the walking journey for many residents of southern Mitchell Park who choose to catch buses on Sturt Road because the Mitchell Park W90 service is too infrequent. It adds insult to injury by taking away yet another access point to public transport, close to the existing Tonsley station, further limiting options for residents. The confusing use of words and vague communications from the Transport Department in the past have been a source of frustration and anger in the community; e.g. “Tonsley Station” has been used to refer to both the existing Clovelly Park and Tonsley stations even though there is almost 1 km distance between them. I hope that a new government will bring improved communications and two-way engagement with existing Tonsley station users and residents. Communication begins with us. Contact the Flinders Link Project Team, your local members of parliament and relevant ministers and share your thoughts about Flinders Link before it’s too late. Ask questions and get as much information as you can for a well-informed community discussion about the best options for local access to the Tonsley rail line for EVERYONE. Look at the project through the lenses of disability, ageing, parents with prams, cyclists, students etc. and not just your own. I would love Flinders Link to be a truly inclusive piece of infrastructure that can serve our community properly for the next 50 years without disadvantaging those who need it most. CONTACT DETAILS DIGNITY Party (MP Kelly Vincent): Post: PO Box 6225, Halifax Street Post Office, Adelaide SA 5000 Tel: President Rick Neagle 0431 704 074 FLINDERS LINK PROJECT Post: The Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, Flinders Link Project, PO Box 1533 ADELAIDE SA 5001 Site Office: corner of Laffer Drive and Sturt Road, Bedford Park Email: dpti.flinderslink@sa.gov.au Tel: 1300 928 345 Website: https://infrastructure.sa.gov.au/major_projects/flinders_link Darlington Upgrade Community Liaison Group (Minutes of Meetings): https://infrastructure.sa.gov.au/northsouthcorridor/darlington_upgrade_project/community_engagement/community_liaison_group_meeting_records FLINT, Ms Nicolle, Federal Member for Boothby Post: Level 1, 724 Marion Road, Marion SA 5043 Email: nicolle.flint.mp@aph.gov.au Tel: 08 8374 0511 HABIB, Ms Carolyn, Member for Elder, Assistant Minister for Domestic and Family Violence Prevention: Post: 967 South Road, MELROSE PARK SA 5039; Email: elder@parliament.sa.gov.au Tel: 08 8374 1939; KNOLL, Hon Stephan, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government Minister for Planning Member of the Executive Council, Member for Schubert Parliament Office: Roma Mitchell House, 136 North Terrace, Adelaide Post: GPO Box 1533 ADELAIDE SA 5001 Email: ministerknoll@sa.gov.au Tel: 08 7109 8430 Electoral Office: Post: 129A Murray Street, TANUNDA SA 5352 Email: schubert@parliament.sa.gov.au Tel: 08 8563 3636 KOUTSANTONIS, Mr Anastasious (Tom), Leader of Opposition Business, Shadow Minister for Transport & Infrastructure, Shadow Minister for Mining & Energy, Shadow Minister for Employment, Government Accountability, Member for West Torrens Post: 229 Henley Beach Road, TORRENSVILLE SA 5031 Email: westtorrens@parliament.sa.gov.au Tel: 08 8234 0777 MCCORMACK, The Hon Michael, Deputy Prime Minister, Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Member for Riverina Parliament: PO Box 6022, House of Representatives, Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600 Electorate postal address: Suite 2, 11-15 Fitzmaurice Street, Wagga Wagga NSW 2650 Tel: 02 6921 4600 MARSHALL, Hon Steven, Premier of South Australia Unit 2 90-94 The Parade, NORWOOD SA 5067 Email: dunstan@parliament.sa.gov.au Tel: 08 8363 9111 PISONI, Hon David, Minister for Industry and Skills, Member for Unley 372 Unley Road, UNLEY PARK SA 5061 Email: unley@parliament.sa.gov.au Tel: 08 8373 4846 TELFER, Raelene, Warriparinga Ward Councillor, City of Marion, Post: PO Box 21, Oaklands Park SA 5046 Email: raelene.telfer@marion.sa.gov.au Tel: 0466 530 670 VINCENT, Hon Kelly MLC Parliament House, Adelaide SA 5000 Email: vincent.office@parliament.sa.gov.au Tel: 08 8237 9543; Freecall: 1800 182 097 (regional SA callers); REFERENCES ADELAIDE METRO, "Stop 28 Sturt Rd permanent closure", online announcement/alert, Government of South Australia, 10 April 2018: https://www.adelaidemetro.com.au/Announcements/Planned-Disruptions/Stop-28-Sturt-Rd-permanent-closure DEPARTMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, "Flinders Link", web page, Australian Government, last updated 1 March 2018: http://investment.infrastructure.gov.au/projects/ProjectDetails.aspx?Project_id=062838-15SA-NP DEEGAN, Michael, "A Friday Note – 16 March 2018", SA Department of Planning Transport and Infrastructure, https://dpti.sa.gov.au/chief_executive_articles/a_friday_note_-_16_march_2018 ELECTORAL COMMISSION of South Australia, "2018 State Election count schedule and results", media release, 15 March 2018: https://www.ecsa.sa.gov.au/component/edocman/count-and-results-16-march-2018/download For more information: Media Liaison Officer: Bianca Zanatta: 08 7424 7458 or 0401 149 166 HARMSEN, Nick, "New SA Labor leader Peter Malinauskas signals shift on ICAC secrecy, unveils shadow cabinet", ABC News online article, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 10 April 2018: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-10/malinauskas-reveals-sa-shadow-cabinet/9636968 JERVIS-BARDY, Dan, "Parliament must find new voice", newspaper article (editorial), City Messenger, page 10, 28 March 2018: http://messenger.smedia.com.au/the-city/ • Messenger Newspapers Digital Editions: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/messenger/digital-editions • Reproduced on the website of Hon Kelly Vincent MLC: https://kellyvincentmlc.com/kelly-in-the-media/parliament-must-find-new-voice/ GRATTON, James, "Up for New Challenge", newspaper article, CoastCity Weekly Messenger, page 5, 21 March 2018 MACLENNAN, Leah, "New SA Liberal Government sacks four senior public servants", ABC News online article, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 21 March 2018: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-21/new-sa-liberal-government-sacks-four-senior-public-servants/9571042 12 April 2018: Edited to add postal address for Flinders Link Project