Tuesday, 30 April 2024

Mornington Peninsula bus services

Chris CREWTHER (Mornington) (19:08): (615) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Public and Active Transport. The action I seek is for the minister to provide my constituents with an update on proposed bus routes and route changes, including the Mornington to Hastings bus service and the much-needed 781, 784 and/or 785 bus route changes in Mornington. On the latter, proposed changes to routes 781 and 785 to stop at existing bus stops at Beleura Village and Peninsula Grange retirement villages, St Macartan’s Parish Primary School and Mornington Gardens Holiday Village would benefit thousands of residents, visitors, families, parents and students. Locals and I have been advocating for many years for a change to these bus services. During the 2022 election campaign the coalition committed, if elected, to amending these bus routes straightaway and to implementing the Hastings to Mornington bus service. The Labor government, however, came to power, sadly having not matched our commitments at the time. I have continued my advocacy since the election. Then last year, for the first time since Labor came into government in 2014, the government announced that planning was underway for a cross-peninsula bus service between Hastings and Mornington. The government also announced that route 781 would be changed to extend to Dromana, but this did not include the requested changes to include stops near the retirement villages and the school.

As I understand from contact with various members of Parliament in the other place and here, the 781 and 785 route extensions are being considered, but the priority is the cross-peninsula bus service. The department committed, in an email that I have seen, to a recommended solution being a network change with the future cross-peninsula bus route, which will realign the local bus routes 784 and 785, with 785 to serve the retirement village area on Bungower Road. However, a simple change is all that is required, and this should not have to wait for a cross-peninsula bus service. A 2-minute route extension is all that is required to service thousands of locals. This will be a cost-positive announcement, given residents currently rely on cars, even when they should not, or on taxpayer-subsidised taxis. It will also offer positive physical, social and health and wellbeing outcomes.

It is absurd that the government can make other changes to route 781 – say, for Dromana – but not make this simple, 2-minute addition to incorporate two retirement villages, a primary school and a holiday park. Locals in this area should not have to wait for the Mornington to Hastings bus service. They should not have to wait any longer for this simple service change. These residents have no public transport options altogether, and this is impacting thousands of residents, including mainly older citizens. I call on the government to take action on these matters as soon as possible.