Kim O’KEEFFE (Shepparton) (17:42): (309) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Public Transport, and the action I seek is that the minister funds an extensive bus service review for Shepparton. It has been 14 years since a review was last carried out, and it is well and truly overdue. The current services do not meet the growth and increased transport need for our region. I recently met with Greg Fitzsimmons and Roy Dyson from the Dyson bus group, a family owned and operated bus company operating since 1952. They expressed their frustration that this review has not yet happened. They have been calling for this review for many years, and they see firsthand the growth in the region and the desperate need for these services to grow. They are inundated with requests for increased services from the community.
The region has grown significantly in the past 14 years, since the last review, with new housing estates right throughout the region. Services on Saturdays are limited, and there are no services provided on a Sunday. For the young, the elderly and others for whom driving may not be an option, buses are often the only way to get around. There is only one bus that services the train station on the hour, but it does not align with the V/Line time line. With the rising cost of living and people struggling to pay for fuel, insurance, parking and car registration, public transport should be a viable option.
When the bus plan was released in 2021, the minister said that this would include the regions. He stated the Labor government was committed to a bus network that better meets public transport needs and demand. I request that the minister support a bus review for Shepparton as soon as possible.