Brimbank council is calling on the state government to convene a public transport summit in Brimbank to address the municipality’s ‘chronic transport disadvantage’.
At the council meeting on December 12, councillor Virginia Tachos raised a notice of motion requesting that the state government convene a public transport summit in Brimbank to hear from the community how public transport can be improved.
Cr Tachos said the summit needed to be held, “as soon as possible”.
“Brimbank is such a large municipality with more than 200,000 people which will increase within 34,000 people in the next 15 years,” she said.
“Despite existing rail infrastructure and bus services, Brimbank suffers from chronic transport disadvantage with insufficient local transport opportunities to enable residents to access services, fulfil youth programs, and employment.
“Significant investment in transport projects is needed to meet car and future population growth. Within the bus network there are service gaps across the municipality and a lack of connectivity to jobs hubs and to services.”
Cr Tachos cited the recently released report from Infrastructure Victoria which detailed how comprehensive reform to Melbourne’s bus network can help enable a faster, fairer and more connected bus network.
In response to the report the state government said it ‘welcomes’ the research conducted by Infrastructure Victoria.
“We know buses play a significant role in our public transport network – particularly across the suburbs, which is why we’re focused on reforming the bus network across the state,” a state government spokesperson said.
Cr Tachos said the summit would be an opportunity for the state government to hear directly from the community about their transport needs.
“The forum is an opportunity for the state government to actually engage with and listen to our community, and also [to] those pockets of disadvantage that have been constantly neglected by this government,” she said.
Cr Bruce Lancashire emphasised the need to streamline and improve the transport network in Melbourne’s west.
“The way the buses make their way through the western suburbs is certainly like a bit of a dog’s leg – and a convoluted approach,” he said.
Hannah Hammoud
