Wednesday, 13 November 2024

Motions

Bus services

David ETTERSHANK (Western Metropolitan) (10:21): I move:

That this house:

(1) notes that:

(a) Melbourne is experiencing a surge in growth with the population expected to exceed 6.5 million people by 2036 and the majority of new residents are settling in outer suburban growth areas;

(b) public transport infrastructure has not kept abreast with population growth in growth areas, leaving residents with limited or no access to reliable public transport;

(c) the lack of transport:

(i) forces people to rely on costly private transport alternatives, exacerbating cost-of-living pressures for families and young people;

(ii) prevents people from getting to work, school, medical appointments and participating fully in their community;

(d) the government’s plans to build train infrastructure in growth areas will take decades to complete and require huge investment;

(e) Infrastructure Victoria’s 2023 report titled Fast, Frequent Fair recognised the critical role buses could play in servicing outer suburbs and new growth areas and recommended the government:

(i) increase the frequency of bus services beginning with outer suburbs and growth areas;

(ii) update the principal public transport network to accurately align it with mass transit bus routes;

(iii) provide funding certainty for growth area buses, including direct funding to priority growth suburbs;

(iv) substantially reduce bus fares relative to other modes;

(2) calls on the government to:

(a) review bus networks, particularly in growth areas, to identify gaps in service; and

(b) investigate the feasibility of a 12-month trial of free buses to ease cost-of-living pressures and enable residents to participate in their community.

If there is one thing that I love, it is a good route, and a timely and direct route is the best kind if you are doing it right. People in the inner ring suburbs of Melbourne know what I am talking about. Most of us are spoiled for choice, getting the full benefits of Melbourne’s public transport network with train, tram and bus routes to take us where we want to go, located within walking distance and operating pretty frequently. If you live outside this relative public transport oasis, particularly if you live in Melbourne’s outer growth areas, it is a very, very different story.

Somewhere along the line we dropped the ball on public transport. As Melbourne’s population has grown and its boundaries have sprawled, its public transport options have contracted, and Melbourne continues to sprawl, particularly along the outer growth corridors. The government has a long-held policy to contain 70 per cent of its housing growth within established urban areas through infill development and 30 per cent in greenfield growth areas within the urban growth boundary. Of late this has not been happening so much, with only about 50 per cent of home approvals being built within the established LGAs, well below the 70 per cent target. New housing exploding along the south-eastern and north-western corridors poses a fundamental challenge. In fact I would not be surprised if the 70–30 ratio was reversed in the outer west, with new homes mostly being built in those greenfield growth areas. Homes in well-established areas like Boroondara have only grown 24 per cent in the last 30 years, whereas for the same period homes in Wyndham have increased by an eye-watering 439 per cent.

It is estimated that Melbourne will be home to around 7.5 million people by 2031, and as our population expands our outer suburbs will continue to absorb the brunt of this expansion. This is exemplified by the government’s announcement last week of its plan to release huge tracts of land in greenfield zones in the north-west to accelerate housing development. Public transport is simply not keeping up with this growth.

I have spoken many times in this place about the lack of transport options in the outer western growth area, but even in the established urban areas, those inner and middle rings of the west, the access to public transport is pathetic compared to what is available for residents in the inner and middle rings of the eastern suburbs. Public transport is at its heart an equity issue. We know that a lack of decent public transport entrenches social disadvantage and isolation. It limits people’s access to employment, education, health services and shops. It severely restricts their social life.

In my electorate the access to transport in Wyndham, Brimbank, Hobsons Bay and Melton is nothing short of atrocious, forcing people to rely on private transport and increasing cost-of-living pressures. It is no surprise that there are vast swathes of the west where a typical household will have between three and four private vehicles.

[NAME AWAITING VERIFICATION]

People are really struggling. We hear from so many constituents who are trapped in new developments with no public transport. For example, Pawan is a single mum living with two children in Mount Atkinson. I have spoken before about the appalling state of affairs in Mount Atkinson. There are no trains, no shops, no local services. The nearest shop to simply pick up a bottle of milk or some toilet paper is a 15-minute drive away.

The closest bus stop is a 40-minute walk from Pawan’s home across unsealed road surfaces, and the nearest train station, which is Rockbank, is an hour and 20 minutes. That bus – I should say that would be the first option – does not connect to shops or services, so it is of very limited use. Pawan’s children go to different schools, so she spends about $200 a week in petrol just to get her kids to school and do a bit of shopping – she cannot afford to do much else. The public transport that does exist in the outer west is quite simply not fit for purpose. A recent study which compared the travel times of private cars to public transport in Melton found that the average trip time by car on a weekday was 22.5 minutes. On public transport that same trip was 71.5 minutes – so three times longer, and that is assuming the bus turns up. It is no wonder that households in the west have become so dependent on cars. 23.4 per cent of households in the Melton LGA own three or more vehicles – nearly a quarter of the local population.

More cars on the road means more congestion, more pollution and more carbon emissions – not to mention more individual stress. The further west you go, the worse it gets. This has not happened overnight. The situation is the result of historic planning inertia and underinvestment into public transport by Victorian governments of all persuasions, which is a great pity, because there was a time when our public transport system was the envy of other states. We do acknowledge that this government has spent billions and is committed to enhancing public transport. We recognise its commitment to building new train stations – the news is welcome. But we know those stations are not coming anytime soon. We recognise the commitment to increasing rolling stock. This new stock is also welcome. But we are really barely catching up with growing demand. Besides, these commitments will not lead to much improvement in the western suburbs.

We are well aware of the fiscal realities facing the government in these post-COVID times. We know there is not a lot of extra cash for additional rail infrastructure and that rail infrastructure takes a long, long time to complete. So what can be done quickly to give some relief to our outer-suburban residents who cannot easily access trains? You guessed it – it is buses. Buses are easy to deploy, require no major capital investment and can be up and running in a relatively short time. What we need is a comprehensive bus plan for our western suburbs – one that reconfigures our outmoded bus network to make buses more accessible, more frequent and more reliable. It needs to increase access so that residents are able to walk to a bus stop without needing the stamina of a long-distance runner.

That brings me back to my opening remarks. Who does not love a good route? We need a route review. A bus network review will identify transport black spots and modify routes to reduce waiting times, connect people to other transport modes like train stations and get them to places they want to go to. We need to accelerate the rollout of new zero-emission buses. All of this should be accompanied by a broad-based community information campaign to inform and encourage residents to just hop on a bus. We might need some good old incentives to get people to just hop on a bus, because the reality is that many residents do not have much faith in the second-rate public transport that they have hitherto experienced, particularly out west. With the interminable wait times and the long, convoluted time-consuming routes, it is no wonder people have been put off. So for a period of time let us make them free. We want people to get back into the habit of using buses. We want people to fall in love with buses, and why wouldn’t they? A reconfigured bus network with regular, fast and direct routes would be transformational for so many Victorians, and it is well and truly overdue.

If you look at an interactive network map showing the frequency of trams, trains and buses across Melbourne, the south-eastern part of the map shows a dense pattern of network coverage with some form of transport arriving roughly every 10 minutes or better in inner and middle-ring suburbs. You would think you were living in a proper, modern city.

The very, very best you will get in the west is a 20-minute wait beyond that inner ring I spoke of earlier, and if you are talking about the outer ring, wait times range from 40 minutes to, well, never.

A well-known public transport expert by the name of Peter Parker – no, not that Peter Parker – has analysed bus routes across the city and concluded that the lack of services on the outer fringe and in large swathes of the north-west is entrenching inequality. And yet we have the buses. Reconfiguring and expanding our bus network would be the single best thing we could do to improve public transport in Melbourne and, as I have said before, it could be done at the fraction of the cost and time required to build rail infrastructure. All Victorians deserve decent public transport. Buses can address the growing needs of Victorian communities. We just need the government to get on board.

John BERGER (Southern Metropolitan) (10:31): I want to thank Mr Ettershank for his motion this morning, which gives me the opportunity to talk about something I know a lot about, and that is buses. As a former branch secretary of the Transport Workers’ Union, which has full coverage of bus members in Victoria, and a former president of the national union, I know a lot about this topic. While I want to acknowledge that the government is not in a position to support this motion today, as the 12-month trial of free buses is not economically feasible nor does it eliminate the main issue that Victorians care about, I appreciate the work Legalise Cannabis has done in this space.

The Allan Labor government has a proven track record of supporting our bus networks in Melbourne and regional Victoria. Over the past 10 years we have consistently put our money where our mouth is and invested in the state’s public transport network. This government has taken several steps to ensure that Melburnians can enjoy fair and frequent bus services. This is because bus networks offer a range of benefits that contribute to the public transport system. They provide essential connectivity, linking people to employment, education, health care and other vital services. For many Victorians buses are the most accessible and affordable form of transport, particularly for those without cars. With over 19,000 bus stops across Melbourne and thousands more in regional areas, buses make it easier for people to access everyday essentials whether they live in the city or in remote areas. Buses are also an environmentally friendly option for reducing congestion and lowering emissions. They cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, making them a key part of tackling climate change.

Bus networks also contribute to the economy in a variety of ways. Buses can reach corners of our state and suburbs that trains and trams just cannot physically run to. Buses can drive all around Melbourne and to the most remote parts of our state, helping shuttle commuters to and from work. They ensure that it is easier for people to support local economies and they create jobs in both the transport and maintenance sectors, providing long-term employment opportunities. Bus networks improve quality of life, promote environmental sustainability and foster economic growth, making them a vital part of any transport system.

What does the Victorian bus network look like? Annually more than 135 million trips are made using Melbourne’s bus network. These trips are made up using 400-plus bus routes operating in Melbourne. Our fleet currently consists of approximately 4500 buses that service these routes. These services cover over 5200 kilometres across metropolitan and regional areas. Currently 80 per cent of metropolitan Melburnians live within 400 metres of a bus stop. There are 19,000 metropolitan bus stops and 7000 regional bus stops. More than 30 of these are night routes, and more than 50 connect regional towns with other regional towns.

Overall we should be proud of our bus network. Across the state the Allan Labor government has been hard at work delivering expanded bus networks. Over the last decade we have seen a massive increase in bus services. Frequencies have skyrocketed, with this government introducing 20,000 bus services since 2014. That is right, 20,000. It has been prolific in all areas of transport, and our buses are no exception to that rule. Those across from me gut funding to the bus networks just as they gut funding to all other public transport services, but the Allan Labor government is dedicated to the growth of our bus network. We are in the business of expanding bus networks. The growth areas infrastructure contribution has ensured that as Melbourne’s suburbs expand infrastructure is also introduced.

Melbourne’s population will reach 8 million by 2050, meaning that we need to be mindful how we adapt for that growth. The growth areas infrastructure contribution is designed to address that. Whilst the growth areas infrastructure contribution does not solely fund increases in bus services and routes, it makes significant opportunities for expansions. Aside from public transport, it would also fund the building of new communities. Infrastructure essential for education, health, economic development and general quality of life will be funded through the contribution.

But to return to buses, this contribution will also ensure an investment of $150 million for the expansion of bus networks – that is $150 million to areas that will be needing buses for their expected growth. In the west, north and south-east, as Melbourne expands, so will its bus network. We expect to introduce hundreds of new bus services over the next three years along with these growth area infrastructure contribution funded bus expansions. With this Melbourne could become a city where the norm for a bus route is that you turn up to your stop and then you go. Outside of Melbourne we are ensuring the introduction of 200 regional bus services. Bus network growth is essential for Victoria.

Additionally, the Allan Labor government has been rolling out zero-emission buses across Victoria through a trial over the past two years. With the trial ending next year we have some very promising information about zero-emission buses to help with the full transition of our bus fleet. The zero-emission bus trial not only was a major win for Victoria in our path to a clean energy future but also showed promise for a better public transport network. Just last week the Allan Labor government released our road map towards a zero-emission bus fleet. The zero-emission bus fleet plan is set to seriously change the face of public transport in Melbourne, especially in areas more reliant on bus services.

The zero-emission bus plan will also have a massively positive impact on the manufacturing industry in Victoria. The plan provides a requirement for local manufacturing to be involved in the production line of zero-emission buses. That will have a huge benefit for jobs and the economy in many parts of Victoria. This will be done by creating opportunities for local manufacturers to build zero-emission buses and essential components for buses, boosting the state’s economy. As we ramp up to roll out zero-emission buses, manufacturers can scale production, reducing costs. The transition supports the development of a new industry which creates skilled jobs in engineering and assembly. This plan strengthens the local manufacturing sector in Victoria, providing long-term economic and environmental benefits. Beyond manufacturing this will ensure that the workforce is prepared for the challenging demands of the transport industry and is equipped with the skills required to support a cleaner, greener future.

The zero-emission bus plan will also outline some the challenges the Allan Labor government will face we continue to roll out zero-emission buses. One of the ways that we will be able to ensure bus coverage across Melbourne, even if demand cannot justify a new bus route, is by exploring the effectiveness of FlexiRide services. This may not be the same as introducing a new bus route to areas, but it certainly does increase public transport fairness and accessibility. FlexiRide is an on-demand bus service that operates with fixed routes or schedules from Croydon to Melton South. There are even services offered in regional areas. The service offers routes based on real-time demand, ensuring efficiency. It optimises the potential for bus routes. FlexiRide offers more flexibility and convenience than traditional bus services. It improves coverage in low-density areas that are underserved by regular buses.

FlexiRide also integrates with other public transport options, enhancing connectivity. By using zero-emission buses FlexiRide helps reduce emissions and helps tackle climate change. FlexiRide reduces congestion, provides tailored travel and supports sustainability. Ultimately, FlexiRide is a solution for areas that require public transport but do not have high enough demand to justify the expansion of a bus service to an area. There are no FlexiRide buses in my local community of Southern Metro, but there are plenty outside of it, and they cover many areas in Victoria, currently operating in the following routes: Croydon, Lilydale, Melton South, Mooroolbark, Rosebud, Rowville, Tarneit North, Woodend and finally the Yarrawonga and Mulwala FlexiRide service.

Between bus expansions, the zero-emission bus plan implementation and the ingenuity of the FlexiRide program, the Allan Labor government is dedicated to ensuring that Victoria is a state with easy access to the public transport we all need.

Buses are essential to a community. They provide a reliable, affordable and sustainable way to travel. Public transport connects people to jobs, education, health care and essential services. Buses are a vital link for those who do not have access to cars and other transport options.

With the introduction of zero-emission buses we are not only improving accessibility for our communities across Victoria but also significantly reducing our environmental impact. These buses are an integral part of the broader strategy to combat climate change. By replacing diesel-powered buses with electric vehicles, we are cutting down on harmful emissions, improving air quality and contributing to our commitment to reach zero net emissions by 2045, helping to create a more sustainable future for all.

The FlexiRide program further enhances accessibility, providing an on-demand service to areas that are not easily accessible or served by regular bus services. This flexibility ensures that people living in more remote and under-served areas can still rely on a convenient and efficient transport option. Through these initiatives we are making public transport more inclusive, reliable and sustainable. The growing network of buses will help reduce congestion on our roads and promote cleaner, greener air in our communities. The Allan Labor government is always and will always be there as the government that funds our buses. We live in a – (Time expired)

Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (10:41): I am pleased to speak to Mr Ettershank’s motion 541 concerning public transport infrastructure in Melbourne’s outer suburban growth areas, especially in respect to improving bus networks. This is an issue that Mr Ettershank and I are commonly speaking in agreement on. I do not think there are two members of this Legislative Council that have spoken more in the chamber on buses, particularly buses in outer suburbs and things that are going on, and I suspect there is quite common agreement both in respect to the constituents of the outer-northern suburbs and the constituents of the outer-western suburbs in terms of the bus desert there is in many of our new housing estates.

It is no secret that Melbourne continues to grow at a rapid rate. As reported by the ABS, from 2001 to 2021 Melbourne’s population grew by 42 per cent. Considering Sydney’s population growth rate over the same period was 28 per cent, it is clear that Melbourne remains Australia’s fastest growing city, and a growing population has resulted in Melbourne continuing to expand outwards. Unfortunately such rapid growth in Melbourne’s outer suburban growth areas has not been accompanied by adequate expansion of public infrastructure. This is an issue that the Liberals and Nationals take very seriously. We on this side of the house are deeply concerned that many of these outer suburbs lack basic infrastructure. Many lack footpaths, have single-lane roads, contain housing estates with one road in and one road out and lack community spaces. Speaking to residents, especially in the north, the west and the south-east, there is often associated disjointedness in the community when people cannot freely move around these suburbs. The sense of community does not exist either and fails to be at the same level as older, more developed suburbs.

As this motion notes, an absence or inadequacy of public transport infrastructure results in residents relying on cars to get around. This leads to worsening congestion, pollution and wasted time. Infrastructure Victoria produced a report in December 2023, and I recommend all members read this one, Fast, Frequent and Fair: How Buses Can Better Connect Melbourne, which this motion refers to. It is well known that building new tram and train lines is an enormously costly undertaking, as this government has found out, which is why the report recommends an important interim step of expanding bus networks to grow public transport connections. However, those living in growth areas are the least likely to consider catching a bus, unfortunately, even when no other public transport is available. This could be different, though, if bus networks were improved, with up to 25 per cent of people in these areas willing to get rid of their cars if there existed a viable alternative means of transport.

While not as visible as Melbourne’s trams and trains, Melbourne’s bus network offers five times more scheduled service kilometres than other networks. Despite this, the bus network carries the lowest number of passengers on all forms of public transport. Infrastructure Victoria suggests the economic benefits from implementation of these recommendations could result in between $2.4 billion and $3.3 billion worth of travel saving benefits to public transport users over 20 years after implementation.

I take issue with the need for a 12-month free bus. For a good, reliable bus that is frequent, we know that the economic benefits are about $2.45 for every $1 put in, so we do not see the need for it to be free. The government have got us into a terrible budget position, and so while they say the economic times do not suit that particular policy, it is because of this government’s decision.

This government are not funding buses and new buses properly because of their decision to prioritise a $216 billion rail line in the eastern suburbs. Back in 2018 when Daniel Andrews announced it – and he bypassed all the cabinet ministers here on the front bench in order to announce it on his Facebook page – it was the biggest public transport project in Australian history. Then it was called the Suburban Rail Loop, and then it was called SRL Airport – do not think we have forgotten about that one – at the last election, and now they are referring to it as Suburban Rail Loop less and now calling it ‘Australia’s biggest housing project’. They cannot get the name right. You cannot put lipstick on a pig. A dud project is a dud project, and you have chosen a tunnel in the eastern suburbs over fair, frequent and reliable buses in our growth areas. That is what you have done. That is what this government has done in prioritising the Suburban Rail Loop.

I am lucky to live outside a bus stop, the good old 566, which I regularly take to the station, and then I take the train into the city. But many people in growth areas are not afforded that opportunity, and this is well documented, particularly in the suburb of Kalkallo in my electorate, with well established and publicised transport issues. It does have a bus but it only goes to the front of the estate, and the estate is now several kilometres deep, so for many it is a 2-kilometre walk to get to the actual bus, but the transport issues are so dire with Donnybrook Road being a single-lane road that the bus is incredibly unreliable. You have got a bizarre situation where the government has – which is welcome – funded a Craigieburn train station to Donnybrook train station bus, even though it is connected by V/Line, because it has not invested in electrification after being in so many Public Transport Victoria development plans. They plucked out a $200 billion project that was not in any expert report PTV development plan to avoid actually funding transport projects in the outer north.

I have been successful, thankfully, in some advocacy on buses, particularly with my long campaign on buses in Greenvale. We were able to force the government to extend the 543 bus from Greenvale–Roxburgh Park all the way to Craigieburn Central. This is the situation that I established over a long time, in that no-one in these housing estates or areas was able to get to the nearest major shopping centre. I advocated for this for a long time. Not only did the government take up my suggestion of funding a bus to Craigieburn Central, they used the exact funding model which I advocated for, which was the Growth Areas Infrastructure Contribution Fund. They obviously were panicked, because the local member for the neglectorate of Greenvale suddenly realised that people care about buses – and they do actually care about buses. Many of them come to me and say that they will catch the bus.

I have not forgotten that my constituents also want a bus from Greenvale to Airport West and actual public transport connections to the airport.

In the seat of Greenvale you can drive 15 minutes around that to the airport, but to get to the airport by bus takes over an hour on two separate buses. That is a bizarre situation considering so many thousands of people would take public transport to go to the airport or work at the airport. I want to talk about the estate of Hidden Valley. Over 2500 residents are in that community, and many of them have rallied for a bus. It still does not have a bus, and now there are lots of people moving into a retirement village there that is growing at a rapid rate, and they still do not have a bus that takes them to the centre of town or takes them to the train station. The minister has replied to my correspondence and to the community and is saying that the department of transport are investigating options for increased public transport, but we know that they have no money because they have prioritised the eastern suburbs Suburban Rail Loop over the good people of Wallan and the good people of Hidden Valley. Like everything else, they are prioritising a tunnel over the good people that live in our growth areas, and it is a disgrace.

Rachel PAYNE (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (10:51): I rise to speak to motion 541 in my colleague David Ettershank’s name. I would like to begin by echoing the comments of my colleague. I too love a good route, and I think it is something that everyone deserves to experience. But unfortunately too many Victorians endure unsatisfying routes that take too long and go to all the wrong places. They trek long distances just to wait for a bus that never comes. We know that a poor-quality public transport network furthers cost-of-living pressures; generates more pollution; increases congestion; cuts people off from central services like education, health and employment; increases isolation; and entrenches disadvantage. And yet in Victoria we have a bus network that is infrequent, unreliable and expensive.

Melbourne’s population is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. As more and more people choose to call Melbourne home, the population will continue to spread further and further from the CBD. Without changes to our transport system, Melburnians are expected to face a 50 per cent increase in road congestion by 2036 – aren’t we all looking forward to that? Not only does this have a billion-dollar cost to the economy, there is also a social cost, as anyone who is forced to regularly sit in traffic will know. Our public transport system has failed to grow with us, but change is possible, and buses can adapt, and they can adapt in a fast way.

In my region the 800 bus is just one example of public transport that failed to meet community needs. This service was incredibly limited and had no timetable upgrade for over 30 years, despite the immense population growth in the area. This is something that I have raised in this chamber several times, and thanks to the groundswell of community campaigning, we secured an upgraded service for this route. Starting in the coming weeks, route 800 will now have a new Sunday service, new weeknight trips and reduced weekend wait times, cutting the Saturday afternoon wait from 120 minutes to 30 minutes.

I would like to give a big shout-out to the #fix800bus campaign and the work of the Fix Dandy Buses group for achieving this incredible result. The 800 bus campaign was a success, but we know there are many more routes throughout Victoria that are well overdue for review. Once upon a time there was a dream to have everyone in Melbourne living within 400 metres of a bus stop, but the reality of this dream in a growing city is that bus frequency has been reduced, travel times have increased thanks to indirect routes and weekend services have been reduced or cut entirely.

A 2023 survey by the Metropolitan Transport Forum showed that only 25 per cent of Victorian commuters were satisfied with the current bus service, often citing infrequent services and indirect routes as the source of frustration. And what about Myki? As recently as last week we had a Myki meltdown. Thanks to a failure to account for the end of 3G and despite us living in the year 2024, our ticketing system still does not accept anything except a Myki.

In light of recent reports about a legal stand-off over the contract for Myki’s replacement, many, including me, fear they will not live long enough to see this change.

We have talked a bit today about free buses. When you think about how much money is poured into Myki you have to consider: is this really the best use of resources, and potentially could we just get rid of Myki on buses and use that to help people accessing these services?

Melburnians are frustrated and do deserve better. This is why our motion calls for this government to undertake a route review of bus networks, particularly in growth areas, to identify transport black spots and modify routes to reduce commute and wait times, getting people to where they need to go. This kind of network reconfiguration of Victoria’s complex and inefficient bus routes has broad support from groups like Infrastructure Victoria, the RACV, the Public Transport Users Association and the Committee for Melbourne.

This government has invested billions of dollars in long-term transport infrastructure like the Suburban Rail Loop, and I am not going to go into the merits of or disagree with the project today. I just want to highlight the fact that a lot of public transport investment is tied up in projects that will take many, many years, if not decades, to complete, and this offers little comfort to those who need better public transport now, which is what buses can offer. The demands on public transport systems in Victoria are only set to get worse over the next few years unless this government invests in scalable, sustainable and cost-effective options in the short term – like buses, the only public transport option that moves with Victorians.

Better yet, what if we made these buses free? Like I mentioned earlier, you know it, I know it and we all know it: there is a cost-of-living crisis and hardly anyone is tapping on to begin with, so how much are we really losing, specially when the Myki is down because of the 3G? When times are tough the first thing people cut are the non-essentials. Unfortunately, for many those are social catch-ups with friends. But with free buses you can use that money to save to catch up with a friend for a coffee. We need people to get back to using public transport, something many living in the outskirts and regions have understandably put in the too-hard basket. It is our hope that if they experience such a good free route, their love of buses will be reinvigorated and the call for a route review will be even louder.

That is why our motion also asks the government to explore the feasibility of a 12-month trial of free bus services, providing tangible cost-of-living relief to those who most need it. We have seen the success of that pilot program in Queensland for a 50-cent fare, which has been adopted by the new Queensland coalition government. We expect that as part of the feasibility study into a free bus trial an education campaign would also be considered, and this could encourage a cultural shift about the benefits of jumping on a bus.

Back to my point about Queensland: we did actually see that particularly seniors are using the bus more and more because 50 cents is affordable for them, meaning they can get around and see friends. It limits their social isolation and gets them to where they need to be. We can be tramcentric in the city, but for many Victorians they are not actually an option either. But like I said, this motion is for all Victorians, because they deserve a world-class and cost-effective public transport system, and we hope this government gets on board.

Sheena WATT (Northern Metropolitan) (10:59): Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak on motion 541 this morning, moved by Mr Ettershank. 541 – what a great number. Do you know what that is? That is a bus in the Northern Metropolitan Region, and it is one that I know folks in the northern suburbs love. It is the Broadmeadows to Craigieburn North one. Can I tell you about another good bus route? That is number 540, just one off. I was a little bit cranky that the numbers did not work out, because that is the one for the bus stop that is at the end of my street. I have got three electorate officers that love the 540.

I like this route to get from one side to the other. It is pretty popular on AFLW days, can I just say, and that is one that Essendon, Clifton Hill, Fitzroy and Brunswick love a lot too. I am sorry that the numbers did not work out for the motion to be number 540, the most well-known bus route in my electorate, but 541 is still very much loved in the Northern Metropolitan Region.

Can I also address the motion with regard to the 12-month trial of free bus fares. I appreciate the opportunity to discuss this, as it allows us to have a really comprehensive conversation in what time I have got left about the work that the Allan Labor government has undertaken to strengthen Victoria’s bus network and public transport more broadly. Thank you, Mr Ettershank, for your advocacy for your constituents. I acknowledge that this motion sprouts from your dedication to your community in the Western Metropolitan Region. However, like the speaker before from the government side, I will just reaffirm that we are not in a position to support this motion. You see, a trial of free bus fares across the state for 12 months is really not economically feasible and does not address the core issues that concern Victorians when it comes to public transport – namely, the frequency, the accessibility and the reliability of services. I know that those are very important. I admit that offering free rides does sound appealing, and I have got a sister in Queensland that is loving the 50-cent fares, I must confess, which were a really great initiative of the Miles Labor government. But we know that what Victorians really need are reliable and frequent services to get them to where they need to be when they need to be there.

The bus network, which I have had the good fortune to speak about here in this chamber a couple of times, is an essential part of our integrated public transport system, carrying over 135 million passengers each year and making up 21 per cent of all trips taken on the public transport network. The reach of our bus services is quite extraordinary and extensive, with over 80 per cent of those living in urban areas across Victoria being within walking distance of a bus stop. I know mine; it is 3 minutes 30 seconds and I am at a bus stop.

With more than 400 routes operating in metropolitan Melbourne and local bus services in more than 50 regional towns and cities, our bus network really is crucial for connecting people to their workplaces, schools and essential services. It is often the only option for young people, the elderly and those who cannot or choose not to drive. I know it is particularly popular around Parkville, the Melbourne University precinct and also the medical research institutes around there. We do know that buses do complement our train and tram networks by filling in the gaps in services and connecting people in areas that rail just cannot reach. In fact around 34 per cent of bus trips also involve a tram or train connection, highlighting the role that buses play in creating a seamless and connected public transport system.

The Allan Labor government has worked carefully to make public transport affordable for all Victorians. Public transport fares are heavily subsidised – that is worth noting today – with passenger fares covering only about a third of the operating cost of the state’s metropolitan network. We offer some really generous concessions, including capped fares for 2-hour and daily travel and additional discounts for seniors, students and carers. Also I know that there were some discounts and free travel in fact for veterans on Remembrance Day, so can I just take a moment to acknowledge that initiative.

In March of this year we introduced the fairer fares policy, which has capped V/Line fares to match metro fares and reduced the costs for Victorians in regional areas. This was taken to the election and was enormously popular with Victorians, meaning that passengers now pay no more than $10.60 for trips in regional Victoria. Some previously cost up to $46, and that was an extraordinary cost. I know that they have been very, very popular, in fact saving Victorians over $90 million on public transport since the introduction of the fare cap.

And the busiest day for V/Line was in fact in October, so there you go. On weekends fares are further discounted, capped at $7.20 for full fare and $3.60 for concession. We have got the earlybird one, which is very popular, for commuters who touch on and off before 7:15. I know that that is popular with our tradespeople coming in to work on the Big Build right across the state, and this measure shows our commitment to providing fair and equitable transport options and making sure that our transport system is of course accessible for all Victorians.

Improving the bus network is not just about making the bus rides free, it is also about ensuring that the buses are reliable, frequent and connected to the services that people need. That is why we have developed Victoria’s Bus Plan, which is a strategic blueprint for an efficient, modern and environmentally sustainable bus network, aiming to increase the number of Victorians choosing to take the bus by providing simpler, safer and much more comfortable journeys. I tell you what, when one of those electronic bus timetables goes offline, I receive a wealth of demands from my community that it gets fixed immediately. Knowing how quickly they do come back online, can I just take a moment to thank the Minister for Public and Active Transport Gabrielle Williams, because I tell you what, when it goes off on Bell Street I hear about it pretty quickly. We launched the bus plan in 2021 and have added or improved more than 200 bus routes across the state, adding an additional 4600 services each week, including improvements in over half of Victoria’s 79 local government areas, providing better services for those in metro and regional areas alike.

I talked yesterday on the Duties Amendment (More Homes) Bill 2024 about the Growth Areas Infrastructure Contribution Fund, and I just want to make some additional comments on that. In the 2024–25 budget, along with the GAIC fund, we allocated $180 million towards expanding bus services in Melbourne’s rapidly growing outer suburbs, supporting new and improved routes, helping to connect communities and making it easier for Victorians to access jobs, schools and essential services.

In the north – here we go – route 543 in Hume will extend to Craigieburn Central and the new 524 will connect Kalkallo and Donnybrook station, complementing the express shuttle services introduced earlier in the year between Craigieburn and Donnybrook. They are just a few examples. I think it is the 923 – is that the one that goes all the way around Melbourne?

A member interjected.

Sheena WATT: I think it is the 901. I know where the stop is, and I have certainly taken that all the way around to Chadstone from the northern suburbs. I will tell you what, you hear some great stories about what is going on in our –

The ACTING PRESIDENT (Michael Galea): 903.

Sheena WATT: 903 – thank you, Acting President, for your assistance; I appreciate that very much. It is the one that picks me up on Bell Street and takes me all the way around to Chadstone. Can I just say that is one of my faves.

There is something I want to celebrate in the last little bit, and that is the introduction of 50 zero-emission buses across the network – there we go – with plans for all new public bus fleets to be zero emission from mid-2025. Transitioning the 4500-strong bus fleet to zero emissions will not only reduce pollution but also provide quieter, smoother journeys for passengers, backed by our $20 million ZEB trial and ongoing contracts with the operators. In closing, can I reiterate our support for buses in our state.

Trung LUU (Western Metropolitan) (11:09): I rise to speak on motion 541, as it is clear that the Victorian public transport network is failing hardworking families in my electorate. Whether it is shift workers catching the bus to work or children trying to get to school, buses play a vital role in connecting people in our suburbs. The reality in the west is there are simply not enough buses. The bus system is a decade behind what it is trying to cater to. The routes do not service the growing demand, as simply put by my constituents. There are no buses where you need them.

In the areas where there are services, when the buses do arrive, they are often late. Having reliable public transport to get you to work or school on time is not a luxury, it is a necessity. When the bus system does not meet the basic requirements of frequency and reliability this has serious consequences for the lives of everyday Victorians.

Why do the western suburbs have a second-class public transport network, with only two modes of transport, buses and trains? Investment in public transport infrastructure has not kept up with population growth in the growth suburbs in the west, leaving residents with limited to no access to reliable public transport. The Allan Labor government’s commitments to fund public transport in the west fall by the wayside. The Melbourne Airport rail link and the Western Rail Plan, both deemed critical infrastructure for Victorians in the west, have been put on ice. Every public transport project Labor puts on ice or cancels when it comes to the west shows that Labor cannot manage money, and Victorians in the west are paying the price again and again.

More Victorians are feeling the consequences of Labor’s poor management of our public transport network, including workers and residents in the west. The need to look at the bus system is vital. Melbourne has experienced an unprecedented surge in growth, especially in the western suburbs, with our population expected to exceed 6.5 million people by 2036. Most of those residents are settling in the growth suburbs, where promises to improve infrastructure for trains and buses never arrive.

Some of the fastest growing suburbs in my electorate are Tarneit, Fraser Rise, Diggers Rest, Rockbank and Mount Atkinson. The bus network has not expanded or improved to keep up with the rapid population growth in this area. Again and again the west is put on the backburner by this Labor government. Residents in the area are asking: where are the buses? Why are they so infrequent? Why do they run late? And most importantly, why hasn’t the government taken meaningful measures to address these issues?

Not only are they asking where the buses are, they are asking where are the trains that were promised by Labor time after time, election after election. In the Western Metropolitan Region – my electorate – the election promise of electrification of the Melton and Wyndham railway lines was scrapped despite it being a commitment by this current Labor government during the 2018 and 2022 election campaigns that all residents, no matter where they live, have access to first-class public transport. Public transport should be a right, not a privilege. We must fight to ensure that for workers in Victoria regardless of where they live.

The need for fast, reliable and affordable public transport is most pressing in the current cost-of-living crisis. Families are really struggling to make ends meet. The rising cost of living places record pressure on household budgets. Many families in the west are failing to keep the lights on, a roof over their heads and dinner on the table. Travelling to and from the inner west is a struggle. Lack of connectivity in roads and public transport does not help. In my electorate families are doing it tough. The Allan Labor government is making life harder by effectively forcing families in these areas to rely on private vehicles to get to and from work and school and to meet family, and yet Victorians are paying some of the highest car registration fees in this country. The limited public transport options in the western suburbs force families to own more than two cars to make ends meet. In Werribee in my electorate, for example, 69 per cent of households own two or more cars, significantly higher than the national average.

Professor of public transport at Monash University Graham Currie has pointed out that there is little public transport on the fringe. We need to give commuters choice to save them money.

The high cost of registration fees increases the burden felt by families on their budget. Victorians are paying the highest registration fees in Australia, 76 per cent more than people in New South Wales. In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis it is an untenable burden.

The Allan Labor government needs to stop neglecting the west and deliver what it promised. Connectivity in the west seems to be at the bottom of the list when it comes to planning under this Labor government. The $10 billion airport railway link project has been shelved for four years, even after Melbourne Airport agreed to the location of the railway station, leaving the future uncertain. The electrification of the Melton railway line was cancelled. The promised electrification of the Wyndham Vale line was cancelled. Project after project in the west has been shelved or cancelled because the Allan Labor government cannot manage money and cannot manage major projects. We have seen blowout after blowout, again and again, while they are funnelling billions of dollars to the Suburban Rail Loop in the east, where all the well-established suburbs have different modes of transport, like trains, trams and bus services. With only two modes of transport in the west, buses are king when it comes to busting congestion and slashing air pollution.

Let us take a moment to look at some facts. A medium-size bus carries 30 to 50 passengers. This means every successful bus route that opens should take a minimum of 30 cars off the road. Buses are champions when it comes to reducing road congestion, urban air pollution and ultimately road accidents. The call for improved bus connectivity in the western suburbs is not just a matter of convenience, it is a matter of fairness. The 2023 report of Infrastructure Victoria, Fast, Frequent, Fair, highlighted the critical role buses play in serving our outer suburbs and growth areas. The report recommends several actions, including increasing the frequency of bus services, starting with outer suburbs and growth areas; updating the principal public transport network to reflect mass transport bus service routes accurately; and maintaining bus services in growth areas, with direct funding allocated to priority suburbs like the western suburbs.

This Allan Labor government does not seem to be capable of delivering simple essential services when it comes to the western suburbs. While I do not agree with the proposal of free public transport, as nothing is for free in this world, better bus services are a priority for my constituents in the west. This would help to ease pressure and ensure that all residents can more easily engage and connect with their communities.

In closing, improved public transport service in the west is a must. The growing population in my suburbs and my region requires a transportation system that is reliable, efficient and accessible to all residents – all Victorians living in the west. More buses on the road would reduce congestion, cut air pollution and provide a sustainable alternative to private vehicle use. It is time the Allan Labor government took some action to deliver reliable public transport services to Victorians in the western suburbs.

Katherine COPSEY (Southern Metropolitan) (11:18): The Greens will be supporting this motion today, and I thank Mr Ettershank for bringing this important topic into the chamber for debate. We are living through a cost-of-living crisis and a climate crisis, and both of these require us to invest far more heavily in public transport in all its forms. The scale and the immediacy of both these crises demand we act at a scale that is simply not business as usual. I recently updated the chamber that in this climate crisis we have seen yet again that emissions from the transport sector continue to go up. They are projected to be the largest contributor to Australian emissions by 2030.

My adjournment to the Minister for Public and Active Transport recently called for action to reform Melbourne’s public transport network with more frequent services that will get more people on board as one of the key strategies for bringing down transport emissions. Better bus services can be delivered quickly, and they require minimal infrastructure investment compared to other modes. They could be easily mobilised to provide options to those Victorian communities which have few or literally no public transport options at the moment.

With regard to the cost-of-living crisis, the Australian Automobile Association’s online data tracker tells us that people could save on average $26,000 a year if they did not need a car or a second car. That is a shocking figure, isn’t it? For most households an additional $26,000 would be a transformative amount. But people continue to be stuck in cars in some communities because the government is failing to provide viable alternatives to driving – the public transport services that they need and want simply are not there.

We know that public transport fares can be a deterrent, particularly for short trips, which deters people from hopping onto a bus or a train or a tram for those short trips around town. It is why the Greens took to our previous state election our climate ticket policy, which included free public transport for young people – free for under 21s – and capped fares at $1 a day for fares on concession cards and $3 a day for all adult fares. We also know that the main reason people say they are disappointed with buses in particular and public transport in general at the moment is wait times. People say that wait times are the main reason that they do not choose public transport, so the need to reform and improve our bus network is absolutely critical. Buses need to be useful for people to take advantage of them. Even if tickets are substantially cheaper, it is hard to take advantage of that and shift out of your car if you need to walk 2 kilometres to the nearest bus stop or if you need to travel on a Sunday and your local route does not even run on that day. Fast, frequent and direct buses would be useful to a lot more people, giving them a viable option to leave the car at home, not pay for petrol or even avoid buying a second car – coming back to that saving of $26,000 per year.

Bus reform in Victoria has shamefully sputtered along under this Labor government. Victoria’s Bus Plan, released in June 2021, contains some great statements about how buses could be reformed, but the follow-through has been piecemeal. Public Transport Victoria has done detailed consultation on bus reform in Melbourne’s north and north-west and in Mildura, and the communities there have given their feedback in good faith. But from the outside those reforms appear to have stalled. It seems like once PTV puts these suggestions to the Labor government and requests funding the interest kind of evaporates.

But we have seen some local campaigns succeed – powerful local campaigns, such as Fix 800 Bus, which managed to secure those extra weekend services. It is a credit to the community. Thanks to the government for listening to that community, and I hope that they will hear the calls for better buses that are coming loud and clear and progress the reforms that are so crucial and at the heart of this motion. Bring on bus reform to improve transport equity, reduce transport emissions and ensure that every Victorian has access to better buses.

Michael GALEA (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (11:22): I rise to speak on a very exciting motion today, because we are talking about buses. I thank my colleague Mr Ettershank for bringing this very important subject to the chamber. As members will know, this is a topic that is very close to my heart. I seldom go a week in this place without talking about the exciting new bus route extensions in the south-east – the 831, 798, 928 and indeed the 925 just outside my region – on top of the $150 million of growth areas infrastructure contribution-funded – GAIC-funded – public transport projects which have just been announced too, which we are very much looking forward to seeing come through.

Indeed I will take up a contribution from my region colleague Ms Payne, who rightly points to the successful campaign to get the route 800 bus service expanded, including Sunday operation. I am very much looking forward to seeing the first Sunday service on route 800, which runs from Dandenong to Chadstone through the heart of my electorate, not this Sunday but next Sunday. I know that along with my colleague Mr Tarlamis and the local members Eden Foster and Minister Gabrielle Williams we are all very excited to see that come through. I will also give a second shout-out in this debate to Mr Peter Parker, who was a staunch advocate for that extension. It is terrific to see that coming into place.

Buses are something that, as I outlined in my first speech, in many ways are the reason why I am in this place. It is what got me involved and interest in state politics, campaigning for upgrades to the 695 bus when I was a teenager and indeed for a new bus from Pakenham to Gembrook. I am very excited that, with my local Labor member at the time, we got that route delivered whilst I was a teenager. And that route still runs today, connecting people to the jobs, services and trains at Pakenham. Indeed just fairly recently we had a school group coming in from the great school of Beaconhills, and I was actually quite pleasantly surprised to find out that one of the students who was here actually regularly catches that bus to go to school. I was very, very excited to hear about the usage of that. It really does highlight the importance of better bus services right across Melbourne, particularly in our outer suburbs and indeed in regional Victoria.

We know that for most Melburnians indeed, let alone Victorians, around two-thirds, potentially more now, live outside of walking distance from a train station or a tram stop. Buses are a really critical part of our transport network, an important part of the transport network particularly, and they can only work best when they do work as part of that network. Indeed with something like just over a third of all bus trips involving some other mode of public transport, most particularly trains but also of course trams, it is really important that we look at the issue of our network through that holistic lens. I will have some comments when we come to discussion about fare levels shortly.

I will go to that, but I do want to also make a brief note that Victoria does have a program under the current Victoria’s Bus Plan. I have given just few examples in my electorate, but we have also seen previous extensions in the south-east, including the route 863 from Endeavour Hills to Hampton Park, extending that down to Cranbourne West shopping centre, and we have also seen an expansion to the route 895 service in the last few years. I could give countless more examples from my region and indeed from others, but I think it is really important to note that we do have a bus plan that is going to deliver those continued benefits and those network improvements too, because I do agree that there are still pockets of Melbourne where the network structure itself is not optimal. When you have slow, meandering bus routes, you actually drive down the potential patronage and you also of course require more resources to use it. Where we can have clear, direct, logical bus routes such as the extensions that we are doing in, for example, Clyde North, utilising that grid network of roads to provide that real network and meshing effect of those bus routes and having the routes running as directly as possible – as directly as the council roads will allow – that means that you can really maximise the benefit of those bus services. Things like Victoria’s Bus Plan are really important for delivering that, and I look forward to seeing even further and continued investment in that.

I do want to look at the subject of free public transport or free bus services, which have been proposed by Mr Ettershank. I think it is important to note that whether it is near or far, when you look at examples from across the world you see that eliminating fares in and of itself does not particularly improve patronage. It does to a small degree, I grant you, but nowhere near enough to justify the cost of making it free. The things that drive patronage are service frequency, connectivity and reliability. Hypothetically, if you have a service running every 3 hours – most services run far better than that of course – there is no point in making it free because people will not use it. If you make it more frequent, though, people will use it, and you can look at examples from across the world. If you look at, for example, the Estonian capital of Tallinn, where they implemented free public transport, there was an increase in patronage, but it was very small and it was mostly people who were previously walking. Indeed they found that public transport use increased by 14 per cent in 2014 when they brought it in. However, car trips only declined by 5 per cent. Therefore it was mostly walkers doing short trips who would otherwise walk who were hopping on those buses, whereas foot traffic at the same time dropped by a staggering 40 per cent. Again, this goes to the concept of looking at public and active transport as a holistic concept.

Indeed we had an inquiry just a few years ago in this place into an expansion of the free tram zone that was done by the Economy and Infrastructure Committee. That too found that the majority of the increase of trips taken in the free tram zone in the inner city were actually a result of people no longer walking and taking the tram for just a few short stops instead. Indeed it is the network effect that makes it so important, because what you are trying to do is design a public transport network that allows that multimodal capacity. We know, for example, that already in Melbourne trams come very close to, if they do not already, breaking even on their service revenue and that there is a more considerable subsidy provided for bus and rail trips, as is appropriate. The fact that we cannot get such perfectly granular data on that is indeed because we have a multimodal fare system.

It is a very good thing to have in fact, and you should not be punishing people who wish to complete their journey by train or by any other means by imposing a fare disparity between modes. Victoria was one of the first jurisdictions in Australia to recognise that. Many others still do not apply multimodal fares and they do punish people for transferring between modes. That is something that would be an unintended consequence of this motion.

But the network effect is very, very important. In mentioning the free tram zone I do note that we have seen some recent commentary about it from certain council candidates in the City of Melbourne, and I will take the opportunity to acknowledge and congratulate Nick Reece on his election win. I know he has got a particular interest in expanding the free tram zone, and I welcome it if the City of Melbourne wishes to fund that. They are certainly welcome to put that forward. Indeed if he is so interested in importing free public transport for the residents of the City of Melbourne at the expense of people in my region, at the expense of people in regional Victoria, I would welcome his proposal for the City of Melbourne to take over the entire funding of the free tram zone, if that is the direction that the City of Melbourne wishes to take.

This government, though, is focused on service delivery, because whilst I cannot agree with Mr Ettershank’s remarks on fares, I am wholeheartedly sympathetic to his push for better services. That is why I am so excited to see these services which have already been announced as part of GAIC funding in my region but also in the south-west, in the west and in the north just this year on top of the existing investments which have already been made and on top of many more which are sure to follow.

It is only by providing a feasible, attractive alternative to driving that we are going to start to see a real mode shift away from cars. That is what we have seen in other examples across Australia, across the world and here in Melbourne when we have seen those rail upgrades, those rail extensions, those service frequency uplifts. We now have trains every 10 minutes on the Dandenong corridor, on the Frankston line as well and on very successful smart bus routes like the 903 that Ms Watt was talking about and also the 901, which serves my electorate. You see some very, very good patronage on that route as well. And with the new routes that we are rolling out to a higher frequency than those routes which were delivered as part of meeting our transport challenges back 20 years ago, with the new routes being delivered as part of Victoria’s bus plan, we are really seeing the patronage take off, and that is a very good thing. I will continue to support and advocate in government for the best bus services for my electorate and indeed for all Victorians.

Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (11:32): I also rise to speak on Mr Ettershank’s motion, and while much of it seems uncontroversial, of course there is the little bit, (2)(b), of Mr Ettershank’s motion, a call for the government to investigate the feasibility of a 12-month trial of free buses, which I cannot agree with. I cannot agree with it because there is no such thing as ‘free’ buses. Somebody pays – the taxpayers. If he had said ‘investigate the feasibility of heavily taxpayer-subsidised buses’, it might have been closer to the mark.

There is nothing wrong with the concept of cheaper buses, but we should be dealing with the reasons that running buses – or any Victorian business in fact – is expensive and unviable in this state rather than chucking public money at a problem the government is making worse itself. The government should not be encouraging growth in areas unless they are prepared to provide the infrastructure that is required, but of course they do not do that even though we have got a windfall gains tax which just puts more money into consolidated revenue instead of being hypothecated to ensure that there are services available in new growth suburbs. We do not do that, so new growth suburbs suffer with a lack of infrastructure and a lack of services.

The best way to lower the cost of living is not to subsidise that cost by taxpayer borrowing – after all, we seem to be in some extraordinary debt in this state, greater than that of Queensland, New South Wales and Tasmania combined – but to attack the root cause of higher costs. A substantial part of that are the direct and indirect costs of government. We need to make it easier for bus operators to do business, and like other businesses in Victoria there is a lot that can be done.

I am not talking about cutting essential vehicle safety conditions or employing untrained drivers, but there is much overlay on top of this which adds to the cost, puts businesses under pressure, stops existing businesses expanding and discourages Victorians from starting new enterprises. There are obvious things like payroll taxes and jacked-up council rates but also less obvious ones like property taxes and stamp duty that affect businesses too. Then we have got the gender equality action plans and excessive environmental regulation achieving little but tick-box compliance, while renewable projects across the state devastate vast swathes of far more precious ecology. Compliance with procurement red tape when bidding for any contracts is also an issue. Wage theft legislation, unfair legal liability and the onus to disprove blame are other issues.

Every other week in this chamber we are discussing another friendly-sounding nail in the coffin of business, but who on earth would start a business in Victoria or expand one or invest in one? And that includes bus operators. You are just killing business in this state. They are fleeing out of Victoria –

Michael Galea: On a point of order, President, on relevance, we have limited space to talk about buses, and I am very anxious that we talk about buses for as much as we can in this time.

Bev McArthur interjected.

The PRESIDENT: I was just going to rule in your favour. I think Mrs McArthur was being relevant to the motion.

Bev McARTHUR: Mr Galea – I hope he just gets on his bus. I can assure you I am absolutely going to the point of the poor bus operators. Who would be a bus operator in Victoria? A Labor government in hock to the unions makes it harder too. Just ask companies like Ventura, CDC, Transdev and Dysons, who face the militant strike-threatening Transport Workers’ Union whenever they try to deal with their staff.

John Berger interjected.

Bev McARTHUR: That is absolutely right, Mr Berger.

The government needs to be more flexible too. I sat on the Economy and Infrastructure Committee inquiry into the use of school buses in rural and regional Victoria, which reported in November 2021. We have got school buses lying idle in parking lots which should be able to be used for the full day. We even looked at whether people could get on a school bus and travel; there are all sorts of problems with security and goodness knows what. But let us be more flexible about using the facilities we have got, and school buses sitting in a parking lot is an absolute waste of everybody’s money. We heard from the boss of the private bus operators lobby, who said they can quickly gear up to provide a service but are inhibited by government. So we have got situation, Mr Ettershank, where the private bus operators in this state could gear up to provide the bus services you need but the government is holding them back. Do not worry about free buses, let us just get the private sector working viably and the government not prohibiting them, and we will get the show on the road and we will get buses on the road.

It is unacceptable for the government to reap the benefits of massive suburban growth, as I said, in the windfall gains tax and in all the other levies, which add 50 per cent of the cost of constructing a house in Victoria alone. It is unacceptable for them to grab these benefits but fail to provide the infrastructure which makes these suburbs viable. You are absolutely right, Mr Ettershank, there is not the infrastructure that there should be if we are going to have growth in suburbs, because the government is not interested. They are really only interested in one project: the Suburban Rail Loop. Tell us what is happening out in the country. We cannot even drive on a road in the country for the potholes, let alone get a bus, Mr Ettershank; there are no such things as buses in the country by and large.

A member interjected.

Bev McARTHUR: There are not. Public transport is a non-existent phenomenon outside the tram tracks of Melbourne.

What we need is a proper approach by government to provide the infrastructure that is required for people to (a) have public transport, and (b) if you are going to expand housing developments outside the tram tracks of Melbourne, then you have got to provide the infrastructure, and the windfall gains tax should enable the government to provide the proper infrastructure that is required. What is more, they just need to get behind the private bus sector, which could quickly gear up and provide the services that you are looking for, Mr Ettershank.

I support the kind of general concept that we need the infrastructure, but I cannot support the notion of ‘free’. There is no such thing as free. Somebody pays, and it is the poor, hardworking, unsuspecting taxpayer who is constantly inflicted with ideas of free this and free that. So, no free stuff, but yes, we need the infrastructure in all these growth suburbs that Mr Mulholland is responsible for and where there is a lack of services, absolutely.

Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (11:41): I welcome the motion by Legalise Cannabis Victoria and thank Mr Ettershank for bringing this forward. We are very supportive of the motion’s call to prioritise and strengthen bus networks in growth areas across Victoria, and I would like to take the opportunity to talk about the need for this in regional centres like Ballarat, Geelong and the Surf Coast, which share many similarities with the issues that are being faced in the western suburbs of Melbourne.

I want to use this opportunity to echo the words of my colleague and restate the Greens commitment to advocating for better public transport. This includes our policy for accessible fares, free public transport for people under 21, $1 a day concession fares and $3 a day adult fares across the entire network – that one’s for you, Bev.

While Melbourne’s population growth is placing undeniable strain on transport systems, regional areas are also experiencing rapid expansion and are facing similar challenges due to limited public transport options. In cities like Ballarat the population continues to grow, yet communities like Lucas and Delacombe remain underserved or entirely without reliable bus services, so much so that the member for Ripon in the other place, a member of this Labor government, has created her own petition to her own government seeking a bus route to serve the community of Lucas. Meanwhile, longstanding routes to suburbs like Miners Rest still have no services on Sundays, as though people do not have any need to travel on a Sunday. A review of public transport across the entire City of Ballarat will better help to alleviate these pressures, support the local economy and promote sustainable living.

Geelong and the Surf Coast are likewise in urgent need of enhanced bus services. Armstrong Creek and Torquay are fast-growing suburbs where limited bus services prevent many from accessing essential services, employment and education, and this is leading to a significant increase in congestion along the roads coming out of those suburbs, because there is no option other than car transport. Those areas are incredibly car dependent – well over 90 per cent car dependence in the Greater Geelong region, and that is not sustainable for a city that is going to essentially double its population over the next couple of decades. The recent improvements in these areas are a positive step, yet more frequent services, extended hours and greater coverage are required to meet the needs of these communities. A targeted review and subsequent enhancement of bus services can help to reduce the reliance on costly car travel, thus easing cost-of-living burdens and improving quality of life.

In cities like Ballarat and Geelong unreliable and infrequent public transport pushes families towards car dependency and the associated costs. In Geelong 84 per cent of households own at least one car, while in Ballarat that number increases to 90 per cent. Around half of those families own two or more cars. In this conversation there is no consideration for the people who cannot drive or who do not have access to a car for various reasons. They are entirely dependent on other forms of transport, and without access to bus services they are extremely limited in their ability to participate in all types of activities across society. By implementing recommendations on bus frequency and long-term funding certainty, the government has an opportunity to provide regional communities with fast, frequent and affordable transport options. Expanding the role of buses in growth areas will address current gaps and ensure that public transport evolves with Victoria’s expanding population, making it easier for residents in regional centres to connect, thrive and participate fully in their communities.

David ETTERSHANK (Western Metropolitan) (11:45): I will keep my comments brief. Firstly, could I just thank all of the speakers who have participated so enthusiastically in this discussion; it is heartening. I think that we clearly have a case of furious agreement that there is a need for more buses, better buses, more often. We need more reliable buses. We need buses that are accessible to communities. It was put to me the other day that one metric might be: no more than 15 minutes to walk and no more than 15 minutes to wait. The reality is that for so many people, particularly in our outer suburbs – I take on board also in regional and other areas – that is a fantasy; it is not even possible. So we need reliable, accessible, frequent buses. We need routes that are more strategic that take people from their homes to their work, to their places of recreation and to other modes of transport, with that connectivity and that coordination between services, and again that is lacking. Finally, it needs to be affordable. If you are out in zone 3, it is not cheap, particularly if the service is unreliable and slow.

I think I would just like to say that we recognise that the government is putting a lot of thought into this and that there is action underway, and we commend that. But it is not fast enough and is not big enough, and the government needs to do better. This is on your watch. Clearly, there is an immense feeling within the community, particularly in the middle and outer ring suburbs and in regional areas, that it needs to be better.

I guess the thing that is amazing me as we come to the end of this debate is that we are all in furious agreement, but both major parties are going to vote against this, and it is on the basis that there is no support for part (2)(b), which is calling for an investigation into free buses. I thank Mrs McArthur, who has now left us, for identifying those particular words, and I guess my mind strikes the discretion of ‘investigate free buses’. I do actually want to take up Mrs McArthur, and I am so sorry that I am only talking to her chair. I think she said, ‘There’s no such thing as a free ride.’ I guess you come to this place and you go, ‘Let’s debate. That’s healthy. That’s democracy. Let’s debate. Let’s argue. Let’s run the merits.’ Then there is that thing where you go beyond that and you move into hypocrisy, because the reality is that all of us who are so privileged as to be elected to this place have free buses for life, Mrs McArthur. Yet you would say to the rest of the community, ‘You’re not entitled to that.’ I think that is just hypocrisy.

Having said that, I would just like to conclude by saying that in pushing for an investigation of things such as free buses we are blind if we do not recognise that whilst there are some really crowded buses, there are a huge number of buses that are significantly underutilised, and it is very clear that if we want to get utilisation up and if we want to get people back into the habit of getting on buses – and many people have never had that experience or have fallen away from it – then we need to incentivise. We need to open people’s minds. Let us do that. The 50-cent bus fares in Brisbane resulted, I think, in a 16 per cent increase in utilisation in a very, very short timeframe. Why wouldn’t we also be pursuing that?

I would just like to say that if the major parties cannot find their way to support this, I will be, as I think many in the community will be, very disappointed. That said, I thank you for your enthusiasm and your commitment to buses.

Sonja Terpstra: On a point of order, President, I just want to place on record that I was not in the chamber when this happened but I was in my office watching the debate, and I note that both Mr Ettershank and Ms Payne in their contributions on this motion used words ‘Everyone loves a good route.’ I find those comments offensive. I understand that under the standing orders the matter may not be able to be dealt with right now because I was not present at the time, but I want to place on record that I find those comments offensive. They are in poor taste, and people who come into this place agree we should be able to debate these matters, but it should be done in a respectful manner and without having to resort to using the Legislative Council as a toilet.

The PRESIDENT: You are correct in saying standing orders 12.18 and 12.19 talk about members finding words offensive but the point of order needs to be taken immediately – it cannot be after the fact.

Council divided on motion:

Ayes (6): Katherine Copsey, David Ettershank, Sarah Mansfield, Rachel Payne, Aiv Puglielli, Georgie Purcell

Noes (30): Ryan Batchelor, Melina Bath, John Berger, Lizzie Blandthorn, Gaelle Broad, Georgie Crozier, David Davis, Moira Deeming, Enver Erdogan, Jacinta Ermacora, Michael Galea, Renee Heath, Ann-Marie Hermans, Shaun Leane, Wendy Lovell, Trung Luu, Bev McArthur, Joe McCracken, Nick McGowan, Tom McIntosh, Evan Mulholland, Harriet Shing, Ingrid Stitt, Jaclyn Symes, Lee Tarlamis, Sonja Terpstra, Gayle Tierney, Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell, Sheena Watt, Richard Welch

Motion negatived.