Hamish Heard
State Government is dragging its feet on a strategy to address Geelong’s “appalling” public transport use, according to a lobby group of regional councils.
G21 project manager Rob McHenry said the $80,000 ratepayer-funded transport strategy had been gathering dust since it went to the Government 16 months ago.
He said G21 had paid consultants to produce the study after research revealed only one per cent of residents used public transport to travel within the region.
“That figure is appallingly low and that’s what this strategy aims to address,” Mr McHenry said.
The strategy identified “short-term prioritised actions” including upgrading infrastructure at rail stations and bus stops, increasing the frequency of buses and establishing a bus interchange.
“The Department of Infrastructure has said it would come through with an action plan to put the strategy in motion but a delay occurred around the time of last year’s election and we’re still not seeing signs something is happening,” Mr McHenry said.
“We really need to see a detailed and costed action plan with timelines for progress over the next 10 years.”
Mr McHenry said the Government had blamed November’s state election for the action plan delay.
Public Transport Users Association Geelong branch convenor Paul Westcott said his organisation was angry at the Government’s “inaction”.
“When the report was presented in December, 2005, the Department of Infrastructure said it would take the report and look into implementing it,” Mr Westcott said.
“That was the last we heard from them.”
A spokesperson for Transport Minister Lynne Kosky said the Government had already delivered a raft of improvements to Geelong public transport.
“For example, someone who needs to commute from East Geelong to St Kilda for work now needs only to buy a weekly ticket for $57.10, which includes unlimited travel around the Geelong transit system and within metropolitan zones one and two,” the spokesperson said.
“It’s disingenuous for lobbyists to call for more buses without acknowledging the huge amount of reform that has been achieved.”
The spokesperson listed the establishment of a Marshall train station, reduced fares and increased bus services among the Bracks Government’s local achievements.
The spokesperson would not respond to criticism about a failure to address the strategy to increase use of services.
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