Tuesday, 15 October 2024

Western suburbs bus services

David ETTERSHANK (Western Metropolitan) presented a petition bearing 3021 signatures:

The petition of certain citizens of the State of Victoria draws to the attention of the Legislative Council the inadequacy of bus services in Melbourne’s western suburbs.

The Victorian Government can show it cares for local communities in Melbourne’s west, who are currently facing social isolation and shouldering the costs of running extra cars, by taking bold action to reimagine Melbourne’s broken bus system into a fast, frequent, and connected network of clean electric buses.

The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Council call on the Victorian Government to commit at least $100 million additional annual operational funding in the next budget cycle, as well as a capital investment of at least $100 million, to reform the bus network across the Western metropolitan area into a fast, frequent, and connected grid, serviced by clean, electric buses before the 2026 election.

David ETTERSHANK: As this is a petition qualifying for debate under standing order 11.03(10), I give notice that I intend to move ‘That the petition be taken into consideration’ on Wednesday of the next sitting week.