In response to strong representations from David Tollner MP, Federal Member for Solomon, the Australian Government will provide additional funding to allow pensioners and veterans to access concessional fares on the Alice Springs to Darwin section of world famous Ghan railway.
This initiative will make travel on the Ghan more affordable for about 10,000 pensioners and veterans. It will provide around $1.5 million of additional concessions for travel each year.
Through initiatives such as the Seniors Concession Allowance and the Utilities Allowance, the Australian Government is helping senior Australians with concessions. The state Labor governments are eroding concessions and failing to provide uniform reciprocal travel concessions - despite these being largely state responsibilities.
The Australian Government already funds concessional rail fares on a number of rail lines that used to be part of the Australian National Railway, including the Adelaide to Alice Springs section of the Ghan. The Government also provides funding that allows concessional travel for holders of a Seniors Health Card on the Great Southern Railway network.
Funding will now be provided to Great Southern Railway through a variation to the existing contractual arrangements to extend the concessional travel arrangements to the Alice Springs to Darwin section of the Ghan.
The Commonwealth is disappointed that the Northern Territory Government has failed to meet its obligation to provide concessional travel on long distance rail services within its own borders.
The Australian Government's initiative will provide valuable savings to pensioners and veterans travelling on the Ghan and provide a significant boost in tourist activity to the Northern Territory. This boost in tourism will also help in delivering more employment opportunities for indigenous Australians, an important element in breaking welfare cycles in the Northern Territory over the longer term.
I thank Dave Tollner MP for his advocacy on behalf of the people of the Northern Territory. His efforts played a large part in delivering this initiative.