Tuesday, 20 September 2022

Eastern Victoria Region bus services

Ms BURNETT-WAKE (Eastern Victoria) (18:17): (2137) My adjournment matter is to the Minister for Public Transport. The action I seek is for the minister to investigate the possibility of adding additional bus routes from Cranbourne to Mornington that stop in suburbs such as Tyabb, Somerville, Moorooduc and Baxter. I would like to thank Aaron Brown, the Liberal candidate for Bass, for bringing this constituent issue to my attention. The constituent has been advocating for quite some time to have a new bus service that spans from Cranbourne to Mornington linking all the smaller country towns. My constituent relies on bus services to get around and advises me that there are only currently three bus services a day from Pearcedale to Frankston. There is not currently a bus route that goes from Pearcedale and stops in Tyabb, Somerville, Moorooduc and Baxter before heading to Mornington. Residents have no choice but to get one of the limited services to Frankston, which is a 40-minute route, and then swap onto a second bus for a further 40 minutes to get to the Mornington city centre.

Over 94 residents recently signed a petition in favour of the Cranbourne to Mornington service. Unfortunately this petition was not tabled in Parliament due to formatting requirements and the constituents have not been able to get it to me in time for this sitting week, but that number does show wide community support for additional public transport. While services to Frankston are already limited during the week, on a Saturday morning there is just one service to Frankston. Those unable to drive do not have the option of hopping on a bus on a Saturday afternoon or a Sunday to get to the shops or appointments. The residents believe that Coolart Road, Eramosa Road, Frankston-Flinders Road and Baxter-Tooradin Road should be included in any new routes. The population on the Mornington Peninsula is rapidly growing. It is essential that residents in both Bass and Mornington have access to adequate public transport. I call on the minister to investigate the possibility of adding additional bus routes from Cranbourne to Mornington stopping at Tyabb, Somerville, Moorooduc and Baxter.