Zero Emissions Bus Fleet

Hansard ID: HANSARD-1323879322-122062

Hansard session: Fifty-Seventh Parliament, First Session (57-1)

Zero Emissions Bus Fleet

Mr MARK COURE (OatleyMinister for Multiculturalism, and Minister for Seniors) (18:46:49):

— Firstly, I will congratulate you, Mr Assistant Speaker, on your election to the position. Some would say you have small shoes to fill, but you have some big, big shoes to fill. No doubt you will do an outstanding job.

The ASSISTANT SPEAKER:

Absolutely. I thank you, Minister.

Mr MARK COURE:

Today I acknowledge the fantastic news that the Punchbowl Bus Company has received new zero emissions electric buses that will enter service throughout my electorate and that of the member for Lakemba. As many in this House would know, the future is electric, and the introduction of these locally built electric buses around the State is an important step towards achieving an all‑electric future. The rollout of these buses will see customers benefit from quieter, cleaner journeys and provide the residents of my electorate with an emissions‑friendly method of travel. The buses go up and down Waitara Parade, Hurstville Grove, and my folks love them. These electric buses have been rolled out in places like Victoria, the United Kingdom and of course Denmark.

Now New South Wales, and my electorate in particular, has joined the club, paving the way for the Government to transition all 8,000 of the State's diesel buses to zero emissions technology by 2030. The new buses provide not only environmental benefits but also save money in terms of their fuel and maintenance costs. This exciting technology is a great win for my local area, as it brings the twenty‑first century to suburbs like Riverwood, Peakhurst, Mortdale and many others, such as Hurstville Grove, while helping to reduce the noise pollution created by the diesel buses. It will contribute to making my local area an even more wonderful place to live and work, to run a business and to raise a family.

Punchbowl Bus Company recently outlined to me its plan to create a strategic green corridor from Mortdale to Hurstville Grove, where my folks are. The electric buses currently operate on routes 953, 954, my bus route, and 955, and there are plans to extend the corridor into even more local suburbs.

In future, the company is hoping to transition to a 100 per cent zero emissions bus fleet, which will reduce pollution, improve passenger experience and reduce the overall cost of bus services in New South Wales. The effects of the COVID‑19 pandemic have highlighted the importance of reviving and supporting the domestic manufacturing industry, as we cannot always rely on international supply chains to meet our community's needs. That is why I commend the Government for ensuring that the electric buses are built locally by companies such as Custom Denning, which is located in St Marys. Its factory employs over 200 people, which is helping to ensure that skilled manufacturing jobs remain firmly in Australia.

The Element e‑bus can run for around 16 hours when fully charged, or up to 450 kilometres, providing the high‑quality service and reliability our local residents deserve. Additionally, every kilometre travelled by those buses is completely emissions free, which is great news. That means that everyone who rides them will be contributing to our overall emissions reduction. It is a great step in the right direction, making sure that we are doing everything we can to make our local community a greener, more environmentally friendly place. Another example of domestic manufacturing is the Nexport company, which plans to set up an electric bus factory in New South Wales, creating a massive 2,000 jobs, which is an absolutely fantastic achievement and investment for our State.

I am proud that this Government is leading the way in developing our manufacturing capability and providing more jobs to help us out of the pandemic. That fantastic news is combined with the announcement that TAFE NSW will provide up to three different levels of service as well as maintenance training for those who are going to maintain the new fleet of buses, helping to upskill our local workers. People in my local community expect and deserve the best when it comes to providing them with affordable, easy, safe and climate‑friendly ways of getting around our local area. These buses provide that option for them. I thank the Punchbowl Bus Company, which will be operating the first five of many new electric buses coming to my local area. I am excited about these new buses and the clean, green future that is ahead of us.

The ASSISTANT SPEAKER:

I thank the Minister and ask the member for Cessnock to curtail his enthusiasm.