Section B: Reporting required under any other Act or Regulation

• Air Transport (Route Licensing-Passenger Services) Act 2002
• Harbors and Navigation Act 1993
• Passenger Transport Act 1994
• Reporting required under the Carers’ Recognition Act 2005

Air Transport (Route Licensing-Passenger Services) Act 2002

Part 5 Section 19—Annual reports

(1) The administrative unit of the Public Service that is, under the Minister, responsible for the administration of this Act must, on or before 30 September in each year, present a report to the Minister on the operation and administration of this Act during the previous financial year.

(2) A report required under this section may be incorporated in the annual report of the relevant administrative unit.

(3) The Minister must, within 12 sitting days after receipt of a report under this section, cause copies of the report to be laid before each House of Parliament.

Reporting against the Air Transport (Route Licensing-Passenger Services) Act 2002

The following report is provided pursuant to section 19 of the Air Transport (Route Licensing-Passenger Services) Act 2002.

Operation and Administration of the Act in 2016-17

Adelaide - Port Augusta

Adelaide – Port Augusta was the only route subject to a Route Service Licence during the 2016-17 Financial Year.

The Licence expired on 31 December 2016 and Sharp Aviation Ltd, trading as Sharp Airlines committed to operate, under new licence conditions, for another three years to
31 December 2019. However, due to the declining patronage and revenues in both the regular Public Transport (RPT) and mining charters Sharp Airlines decided to exit the route on 30 May 2017 in accordance with the Licence agreement.

Subsequently, the department advertised nationwide for Expressions Of Interest (EOI) from qualified operators to fly the route in accordance with s5(3) of the Air Transport (Route Licensing-Passenger Services) Act 2002, “...to encourage an operator or operators of air services to establish, maintain, re-establish, increase or improve scheduled air services on the route.”

As at 27 June 2017 the department had received one EOI from a qualified operator.

A Route Licence was awarded to Regional Express Holdings Ltd (Rex) in early July 2017. A start date for air services is early September 2017, commencing no later than eight weeks from the date of commencement of the Licence.

Harbors and Navigation Act 1993

Part 2 Section 10—Annual report

(1) The CE must, on or before 31 October in each year, report on the administration of this Act during the preceding financial year.

(2) The Minister must, within six sitting days after receiving the report, cause copies to be laid before both Houses of Parliament.

Report on the administration of the Harbors and Navigation Act 1993

The following report is provided in accordance with Section 10 of the Harbors and Navigation Act 1993 (the Act).

Registration and licences

Section 47 of the Act prohibits the operation of a motor boat unless the operator is the holder of a motor boat operator’s licence or other qualification approved by the Chief Executive.

A range of training providers exist in South Australia providing boating safety courses with a mix of practical and/or theoretical assessment, to enable persons to obtain a boat operators licence from the department. The qualifications gained through these providers may be recognised by the CE in lieu of a formal examination.

During 2016-17 a review of the recognised boating safety training providers was conducted to ensure currency of the curriculum, and to provide the opportunity for new organisations to provide courses to facilitate the licensing of new boat operators.

Service SA Customer Service Centres and the District Council of Ceduna also provide the opportunity for boat operator licence examinations for intending boaters.

Currently there are 280 386 recreational boating licence holders and 1657 special permit holders in South Australia.

While 93 per cent of the approximately 60 000 total recreational boating fleet qualify for the six month registration option, only 24 per cent of the fleet took advantage of the opportunity. The remaining 76 per cent of the fleet have continued to use the 12 month option.

Canoes and kayaks

Canoes and Kayaks which are fitted with a small electric auxiliary motor are classified as a motor vessel and so must be registered, and the operator must be licensed.  Many paddlers use small electric motors to provide a mantle of safety during outings, but find the registration and licensing requirement onerous. A pilot scheme to provide exemptions for these craft was commenced in 2014.

In 2016-17, 71 new exemptions were provided for these craft, and 16 annual renewals.

Boating safety

Safety strategies

The department facilitates an annual summer safety strategy which focuses on identified issues of safety and compliance in the boating community.

The 2016-17 summer focus was aimed at highlighting the benefit of wearing lifejackets when on the water, particularly for children.

Education and safety programs commenced during October 2016 to coincide with the traditional start of the SA boating season. A range of key messages and publications are used to convey boating safety information to the boating community.

Publications

The SA Recreational Boating Safety Handbook was reviewed and substantially updated to ensure currency and printed for distribution to marine resellers and Customer Service Centres. Additional educational materials were created for distribution at boat shows and public events to convey key safety messages.

Marine Safety Officers attended displays at boat shows and public information sessions to engage with the boating community, provide advice and to answer questions.

Development Applications

Marine Operations provide expert advice to councils and the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources relating to potential hazards to navigation safety which may be created by riverfront developments, jetties and landings on the River Murray and aquaculture along the coast.

Australia New Zealand Safe Boating Education Group

Australia New Zealand Safe Boating Education Group (ANZSBEG) is a cross jurisdictional forum which brings together those responsible for the implementation of government policy on boating safety, those with a responsibility for the implementation of national/ international training standards, small craft search and rescue and those that have direct communication links with the recreational boater.

The department hosted a conference in Adelaide where delegates discussed common issues of boating safety and shared ideas on educational programs and initiatives.

Lifejacket upgrade exchange program

The department has carried out extensive research and costings in preparation for the proposed lifejacket upgrade wearing campaign and education programs for the 2017-18 summer season.

Aquatic Activity Licences

Legislation provides for the granting of a licence to an organisation to use any waters within South Australia for the purpose of an aquatic sport or activity or other purpose.  The department consults with the community and government stakeholders prior to the issue of any licence, and sets conditions to ensure the safe conduct of the activity.

Exemptions

Applications for exemptions from legislation are assessed and may be granted, to enable variation to safety equipment requirements, speed limits or other special needs to ensure the success of community events or works on the State’s waterways.

During 2016-17, 110 Aquatic Activity Licenses and 42 exemptions were issued for such events as races, exhibitions, fireworks displays, special works and construction.

Safe operation of vessels

The department employs a team of Marine Safety Officers who conduct routine and targeted patrols by land and by water to observe boating behaviours and to inspect vessels for compliance with safety equipment, registration and licensing requirements.

Approximately 4000 recreational and commercial vessels were inspected during 2016-17.

Of those inspected, 347 expiation notices were issued to the owners or operators for a range of offences, mostly related to the failure to carry items of safety equipment, or for operating whilst unlicensed or unregistered.

23 vessel accident reports were received by the department, of which 17 involved recreational vessels and 6 for commercial vessels.

Two fatalities occurred on the State’s water ways in the past year from boating related incidents.

In April 2017 the Port Augusta City Council advised of safety concerns with regard to the old Great Western Bridge across the Northern Spencer Gulf. The department’s Marine Operations installed buoyage to exclude vessel traffic beneath and within 40 metres of the bridge, under ministerial emergency powers to ensure the safety of boaters travelling the waterway.

Marine facilities

The State Government has contributed approximately $2m towards boating facility upgrades in regional areas of South Australia that are owned and managed by Local Councils.

Works that have been completed include:

• Replacement of a timber structure with a pontoon system at Donovan’s Landing
• Sealing of the carpark at the Beachport boat ramp
• Removal of the offshore breakwater at Baudin Beach (stage 1)
• Upgrade of the Solomontown boat ramp.

Works that are near completion include:

• Construction of a boat ramp, fixed platform and manoeuvring area at Weeroona Island
• Upgrade of the Port Hughes boat ramp, which includes a relocation of the launching ramps at Port Hughes and the construction of a concrete wharf
• Carpark extensions to the Encounter Bay boat ramp.

Thirty-four new lit beacons were installed and four existing beacons were upgraded to mark the navigation channels at Streaky Bay, Venus Bay and near Thevenard.

The South Australian Boating Facilities Strategic Plan was released by the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure on 30 June 2017 at the Boating Industry of Australia Boat Show breakfast. The Plan will be used to assess and prioritise new boating facility projects to ensure that maximum benefits are achieved for the community.

Legislation review

The department continued to explore options to vary legislation with regard to the wearing of lifejackets, with the intent to make wearing of lifejackets in specific circumstances mandatory by December 2017.

A 4 knot speed restriction on the waters of the River Murray at Long Island near Murray Bridge was revoked to enable the safe and unrestricted operation of vessels. The restriction was approved by Cabinet in 2009 in response to concerns regarding riverbank collapse during the low water conditions on the River Murray, but restoration of river levels in recent years has seen a reduction in risk resulting in the revocation of the restriction.

Two new restricted areas have been enacted in coastal areas of Adelaide during 2016-17.

Powerboats are now prohibited from operating within 200 metres of the shoreline at Henley Beach during daylight hours, from 1 December to 31 March each year. This was introduced at the request of the City of Charles Sturt and community action group Western Adelaide Coastal Residents Association.

A 4 knot speed limit for all traffic in the St Kilda entrance channel has been imposed to ensure the safe operation of vessels using the St Kilda boating marina and launching ramp.

Passenger Transport Act 1994

Part 3 Section 24A—Annual report

(1) The administrative unit of the Public Service that is, under the Minister, responsible for the administration of this Act must, on or before 30 September in each year, prepare a report on the operation and administration of this Act for the financial year ending on the preceding 30 June.

(2) The report must include specific reports on the following matters for the relevant financial year:

(a) levels of public utilisation of passenger transport services within the State;

(b) issues affecting the accessibility and utilisation of public transport within the State;

(c) the number and nature of complaints, compliments and submissions made to the Minister by members of the public under any centralised system established for the purpose under this Act;

(d) the general availability of taxis on taxi-stands in Metropolitan Adelaide, and response times to bookings within the taxi industry, and must also include any other information required by this Act.

(3) A report under this section may be incorporated into the annual report of the relevant administrative unit.
(4) The Minister must cause a copy of the report to be laid before both Houses of Parliament within 12 sitting days after the report is prepared.

Reporting against the Passenger Transport Act 1994

The department administers the Passenger Transport Act 1994 (the PT Act) and Passenger Transport Regulations 2009 by planning, regulating and funding public transport services (bus, train and tram, taxi and hire car) across South Australia. Pursuant to section 24A of the PT Act the following report is provided.

Public transport bus services across metropolitan Adelaide are provided by three private bus providers, operating as SouthLink, Torrens Transit and Light-City Buses.

All metropolitan rail and tram services are operated by the department through the Rail Commissioner entity which has accreditation under the PT Act. Public transport services in regional South Australia are also administered by the department. These include regular route services (country bus services), provincial city services, integrated transport plans, special medical-related services and dial-a-ride services.

The department supports community passenger networks across regional South Australia and within metropolitan Adelaide. This program is established to facilitate access to transport for people who are transport disadvantaged. The program is jointly funded by the Commonwealth Home Support Program and the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

The department is committed to continually improving public transport services and infrastructure and making public transport more accessible and easier to use for all users. The bus fleet is now 90 per cent accessible (not including the rail substitute bus fleet made up of older buses kept in reserve for major rail works) compared to approximately 31 per cent in 2002.

The department’s Station Upgrade Program continues to upgrade selected stations along metropolitan passenger rail lines to provide safer and more efficient services for train customers, with all improvements focusing on accessibility in line with the Disability Discrimination Act 2002 for public transport services. Improved facilities for commuters include new shelters, improved lighting, platform furniture, additional cover, improved access, pedestrian crossings, bike enclosures, additional CCTV camera, new access paths and ramps, along with new car parking facilities.

Platform signage displays “If you need assistance to board a train, please notify staff at the accessible gate or wait near the first door of the leading train carriage.” This message is also being displayed randomly on the station monitors. Department officers at the Adelaide Railway Station that monitor accessibility gates also provide ‘sighted guide’ assistance to passengers to board trains if needed. Information regarding accessible journeys is also published on the Adelaide Metro website.

Adelaide Metro boardings 2016-17 (millions)

The total patronage on the public transport system decreased by 0.1 per cent for the 2016-17 financial year. This decrease was largely due to line closures associated with the Torrens Road to Torrens River and Torrens Junction projects.

Total patronage by mode

Total patronage by passenger type

Total patronage by ticket type

Note:*The figures listed above include free travel data.

Special event services

On 23 October 2014, an amendment to the Passenger Transport Act 1994 was enacted with respect to the management and funding of public transport for special events. The aim of the legislation is to facilitate the successful planning of special events in metropolitan Adelaide by requiring mandatory notification of major events and also to provide a mechanism for the costs of additional public transport services required for the event to be recovered where the event is considered a “commercial event”.

The key elements of the legislation include the requirement for venue managers to notify the department six months in advance (or as soon as the event is known) of any event expected to attract more than 5000 patrons and, where additional public transport services are required, that commercial events contribute to the cost of these extra services.

Events are classified as one of two different categories of event for the purposes of the legislation. The two categories are:

• Commercial Events –    organised for profit where there is a fee for participants either in the form of a ticket or an indirect fee i.e. membership of a club or association; or
• Community Events –    organised as not for profit, the event is open to the community and attendance is free or a voluntary donation from attendees may be sought.

Based on the information provided in the notification form, the department will make a determination regarding the need for additional or special public transport services to cater for the event and, where extra services are required, events categorised as “commercial” will be required to fund the services.

Integrated ticketing arrangements and funding contributions were successfully negotiated for a number of events, including the World Cup qualifier Socceroo’s v Saudi Arabia and the Adele concert at Adelaide Oval. Successful negotiations have been completed for the 2017-18 year including the Ed Sheeran concert at Adelaide Oval.

For the 2016-17 year, 50 per cent of the crowd for three AFL matches were carried on public transport services and a record 56 per cent for round 13 - Port Adelaide v Brisbane Lions.

The Adele concert at Adelaide Oval attracted a record crowd of 70 000 patrons, with 46 per cent of the crowd carried on public transport services.

Adelaide free services

The free City Connector service was introduced in the CBD and North Adelaide during January 2014 as a result of the integration of the City Free service funded by the department and the Adelaide Connector service operated by the Adelaide City Council. This integration enabled service and frequency improvements over previous services. Operating under contract with the Minster for Transport and Infrastructure, the City Connector has two dedicated routes. Additional late night services were provided during the Fringe Festival to encourage greater use of public transport within the City. A survey undertaken in March 2017 shows a weekly average of 22 946 passengers, nearly 2000 additional weekly passengers when compared to March 2016.

Regional services

The department regulates and contributes to funding transport services in some regional areas.

Regular route services operate across regional South Australia and link major centres to Adelaide. Services operate in the Barossa Valley, Murray Mallee, Mid North, Upper North, Far North, Riverland, Eyre, South East and Fleurieu regions.

Integrated transport services operate in the Coorong District Council, Karoonda East District Council, Murray District Council, Southern Mallee District Council, Mid Murray District Council, Southern Yorke Peninsula, Tatiara District Council, Eastern Riverland, Upper North, Mid North, Adelaide Hills, Victor Harbor and on Kangaroo Island.

Dial-a-Ride door to door services are provided in Gawler, Victor Harbor, Port Lincoln, Murray Bridge, the Copper Coast and Barossa Valley. These supplement regular timetabled services and extend the range of public transport options for these communities.

Based on data provided by country bus operators, country bus patronage in 2016-2017 was recorded as 745 398, a decrease of 3 per cent from the previous year.

The decrease in patronage has in part been attributed to cheaper regional airfares, internet banking/services/shopping and people generally choosing to use cars rather than travelling long distances on buses.

Provincial city bus services

Regular passenger services operate in South Australia’s provincial cities of Port Lincoln, Port Pirie, Whyalla, Port Augusta, Murray Bridge and Mount Gambier. Provincial city services are a combination of town and school services.

Based on data provided by provincial city bus operators, patronage in 2016-17 was recorded as 425 940, unchanged from the previous year.

Complaints, commendations and submissions

Feedback on public transport

Feedback from customers about passenger transport services is welcomed as it provides the ability to improve and assess existing services and practices. Customers are presented with multiple opportunities to provide their feedback through the Adelaide Metro website, Adelaide Metro Infoline and InfoCentres, as well as social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Complaints represented approximately 0.01 per cent of total public transport patronage (initial boardings and transfers) in the 2016-17 reporting year, with a reduction of 801 (an 8 per cent reduction) compared to the previous year.

The table below shows Feedback information on public transport

Feedback on taxi and small passenger vehicle (SPV) services

The department receives complaints and commendations regarding taxis and small passenger vehicles. Complaints may lead to disciplinary action if a breach of the regulations under the Act is found to have occurred. Taxi complaints represented less than 0.01 per cent of the estimated eight million journeys provided in 2016-17.

The table below shows feedback information on taxis and small passenger vehicles

Waiting times

The taxi centralised booking services reported that the average waiting time for general taxis in metropolitan Adelaide for 2016-17 was 8.5 minutes during the day (6am to 6pm), and 9.3 minutes at night (6pm to 6am). The figures include waiting times for phone-booked, hailed and taxi rank trips and meet the prescribed waiting time of 12 minutes, as stated in the conditions for accreditation.

There were 1035 general licenses in metropolitan Adelaide in 2016-17.

Access taxis

The taxi centralised booking services reported that the average waiting time for access taxis in metropolitan Adelaide for 2016-17 was 8.6 minutes during the day (6am to 6pm), and 9 minutes at night (6pm to 6am).

There are 102 general licenses with special conditions (Access Taxis).

Passenger Transport Standards Committee

The Passenger Transport Standards Committee (PTSC) is a statutory committee, established under the Act, responsible for exercising disciplinary powers under Part 4, Division 5 of the Act and for exercising or performing such other powers or functions as may be conferred on the PTSC by the Minister from time to time.

In 2016-17, the PTSC sat on 87 occasions and considered 338 matters including:

• 250 accreditation applications
• 88 disciplinary matters.

Of the 88 disciplinary matters, the PTSC:

• suspended the accreditation of 24 accredited persons for a period of time
• revoked the accreditation of 12 accredited persons and disqualified them for a period of time
• permanently disqualified one person from holding accreditation under the Act.

After holding an enquiry, the PTSC found no cause for disciplinary action against four accredited persons, while the remaining accredited persons were fined, required to undertake re-training or reprimanded.

The PTSC also determined that a country passenger transport operator undergo an audit by departmental officers on its business practices.

Reporting required under the Carers’ Recognition Act 2005

The Carers’ Recognition Act is deemed applicable for the following: Department for Communities and Social Inclusion, Department for Education and Child Development, Department for Health and Ageing, Department of State Development, Department of Infrastructure and Transport, South Australia Police and TAFE SA.

Section 7: Compliance or non-compliance with section 6 of the Carers Recognition Act 2005 and (b) if a person or body provides relevant services under a contract with the organisation (other than a contract of employment), that person's or body's compliance or non-compliance with section 6.

The principles of the Carers’ Charter are incorporated into the department’s strategic human resource framework, online training and corporate induction programs. Operating procedures set out the responsibilities of managers to assist employees to meet their caring responsibilities and provide a range of options to employees, including family carers’ leave, flexible hours, flexible leave arrangements and access to special leave.

South Australians with severe and permanent disabilities which limit their capacity to use public transport independently are able to apply for transport assistance such as the Plus One Free Companion card and the South Australian Transport Subsidy Scheme. The Plus One Free Companion card provides assistance to people who cannot travel independently due to mobility, cognitive, sensory or communication impairments. Companion/carers accompanying Plus One Free Companion card holders travel on all Adelaide Metro bus, train and tram services free of charge.

The department also provides specific public transport information for carers via adelaidemetro.com.au, as well as the Adelaide Metro InfoLine and InfoCentres.