Cheap and Accessible Public Transport

The South Australian Greens will invest $2 billion over four years upgrading Adelaide’s public transport system, including the Adelaide Hills and better, more frequent connections to our regions.

Right now, we’re forced into using cars to get around due to a poor public transport system. More than 64 per cent of South Australians drive to work. Cars are expensive and environmentally damaging making up for 39 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in South Australia – the largest single source¹.

Being car-dependent limits opportunities for active transport when we need communities that are more accessible, healthy and inclusive. Significantly, for people on low incomes, public transport really matters as this is their primary means of transport. 

As South Australia grows, so should its public transport network and successive Labor and Liberal Governments continue to plan, propose, or shelve public transport but fail to deliver. We have a one-in-a generation opportunity to invest in major public transport to deliver for our community, which is set to double in size over the next 30 years². This includes a mix of trams, trains and buses. 

^{1. www.environment.sa.gov.au/topics/climate-change/greenhouse-gas-emissions}

^{2.  https://plan.sa.gov.au/state_snapshot/population/population-projection}

Adelaide has relatively low public transport patronage compared to other capital cities, with 19 per cent using it at all and just 6 per cent relying on it as their main mode of travel³. Adelaide has fewer trips per person than other major Australian cities. For example, people in Perth and Melbourne take around 50 trips per year, while in Adelaide, the average is only 35, showing a lower uptake of public transport. They are even lower now than what they were pre-pandemic. 

A 6-month trial of 50 cent fares in Queensland saw a massive 18 per cent jump in the number of people using public transport and saved regular commuters millions of dollars⁴. This incentive was so successful that both Labor and Liberal parties in Queensland have committed to making 50 cent fares permanent.

In South Australia, on the other hand the Labor Government has chosen to increase fares for adults, included in the 2025 state budget. This is buried in their announcement to cut fares for students to 25 cents. 

Labor should instead commit to rolling out 50 cent public transport fares, and free fares for schoolkids. That would save South Australian commuters, on average, close to $3,000 a year for families. That is more money in the hip pocket of families, it reduces congestion on our roads and, importantly, it reduces carbon emissions at this time of climate crisis. 

^{3.  https://dit.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/1484139/South-Australias-Transport-Strategy-2025-03-print.pdf}

^{4.  https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-10/queensland-50c-fares-public-transport-analysis/104910866}

Opportunities exist to extend the rail network throughout Adelaide and the regions, particularly in areas of high growth.

The Greater Adelaide Regional Plan will consolidate population growth in areas like Gawler, Murray Bridge and Victor Harbor⁵.  If we want to avoid congestion on the roads to those places, we need to invest in rail.

The Greens will fund the extension of the rail line from Belair to Mount Barker with stops at Aldgate, Bridgewater and Balhannah. Mount Barker is one of the fastest growing regions in South Australia, resulting in congestion on the South Eastern Freeway⁶. 56% of people who live in Mt Barker work outside the region, with the majority of those working in metropolitan Adelaide⁷. On this line, we could see eventual expansion to Murray Bridge. The rail line corridor already exists so the cost will be to adapt the infrastructure to the current rail line, which will cost around $700 million. 

We will also fund an extension to the current line from Grange to West Lakes would provide much needed reprieve from traffic bottlenecks and support the significant population growth in the area. Further extensions would be beneficial to Semaphore Beach.

Over the next 10 years, The Greens will also extend the train line south to stops at Strathalbyn, Goolwa, and Victor Harbor.

^{5. https://regional.plan.sa.gov.au/regional-plans/greater-adelaide/}

^{6. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/regional-population/latest-release}

^{7. https://profile.id.com.au/mount-barker/residents}

We will invest $300 million annually in more frequent and reliable buses across Adelaide, and from the city to the regions, as well as between towns outside of Adelaide. Buses are a low cost and effective way to encourage public transport use for residents and visitors. 

The Greens will add new bus routes and provide additional services on existing lines to provide for the needs of communities. That includes regional areas that are currently underserviced. Regional connectivity does not meet the needs of all residents, especially those who cannot drive or afford to own a car. 

Some of the key high growth areas around Adelaide that could benefit from high frequency and express buses include: 

Dry Creek – which is 20 mins from the city on the Gawler train line, but the bus services are slow and stop frequently. We would introduce express buses from the city and from the entertainment centre on the western side of the city. Riverlea – It currently takes 20 minutes to drive into the city but nearly 2 hours and a minimum of 2 changeovers to travel between Riverlea and the city. A frequent express bus line between the city and a new Riverlea interchange will provide an incentive to use public transport.  Concordia: Express bus route to Concordia from the city to provide additional public transport to the Gawler line and frequent connecting buses from Gawler train station to Concordia Sellicks Beach: at the moment, it takes over 2 hours to catch a bus from Adelaide city to Sellicks Beach, with a changeover at Seaford. We would introduce a direct express bus line from Adelaide city to Port Willunga and Sellicks Beach. 

The tram extensions to the Botanic Gardens and the Adelaide Entertainment Centre have been successful public transport projects for Adelaide with over 7.4 million journeys were taken on Adelaide trams in the 2022-2023 financial year.

The Greens will fund an extension of the existing line to Norwood along The Parade and Payneham Road and up to the Portrush Road intersection. Further extensions would benefit the city of Adelaide immensely with a new line to North Adelaide. 

Each train or tram in South Australia could take up to 540 cars off the road. These are the most energy-efficient modes of transport, with greenhouse gas emissions per passenger kilometre up to five times less than that of cars.

Trams cost approximately $120 million per kilometre⁸, whereas the final section of the North-South corridor upgrade consists of 10.5 kilometres is projected to cost at least $15.4 billion. This works out at $1.47 billion per kilometre, or $1.47 million per metre.

The Greens will call for co-funding between state and federal governments to implement the Adelink tram network over the next 10 year. We will invest $12 billion over the next four years to deliver 100km of new tram lines into our suburbs.

^{8. https://www.propertycouncil.com.au/news/are-trackless-trams-a-game-changer}

Although energy production (32.6 per cent) is the largest contributor to Australia’s carbon emissions, transport (21.1 per cent) and agriculture (17.7 per cent), are not far behind⁹. The biggest single source of emissions in South Australia is transport and public transport vehicles such as diesel-powered buses being a significant contributor¹⁰.

The SA government has finally come to the electric bus party¹¹, but by purchasing 60 buses from a Swedish manufacturer it has missed the opportunity to boost South Australian manufacturing capacity. The SA Greens will invest in 1000 new electric buses, to be manufactured in northern Adelaide and incorporated into the Adelaide Metro bus fleet by 2029. Our state has a proud history of manufacturing, and leadership on renewable energy. Let’s bring these two together to make South Australia a leader in electric vehicle uptake and manufacturing, creating new jobs while we do it.

^{9. https://www.csiro.au/en/research/environmental-impacts/climate-change/climate-change-qa/sources-of-co2}

^{10. https://www.premier.sa.gov.au/media-releases/news-items/all-aboard-for-lower-emissions#:~:text=Transportation%20is%20the%20largest%20single,by%20the%20South%20Australian%20Government}

^{11. https://www.dit.sa.gov.au/news/feed?a=1487144}

The Greens’ will ensure that public transport is a larger portion of broader transport spending. 

More broadly, the South Australian Greens have a plan to:

• Make mining companies pay their fair share in royalties. Introduce a South Australian big bank levy.
• Cut wasteful government spending on advertising for itself
• Phase out stamp duty and introduce a broad-based land tax.