David ETTERSHANK (Western Metropolitan):
I give notice that on the next day of meeting, I will 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 in growth areas to identify gaps in service; and
(b) investigate the feasibility of providing free or more affordable buses in priority growth suburbs to ease cost-of-living pressures and enable residents to participate in their community.
[Notice given on 15 August 2024 — Listed for 3 days].
