What is our vision? Public Transport is for everyone. Communities in Melbourne’s West deserve access to a bus network that is fast, frequent and connected, serviced by clean electric buses.
Why the West?
Melbourne’s Western suburbs have some of the fastest growing populations in the country. The City of Wyndham has a population bigger than all of Geelong, or all of Wollongong. Yet these communities have some of the worst Public Transport access in our city. In some areas, buses run only every 40-50 mins, and some suburbs have no train station or are only on v-line. There are no trams at all in the outer West. Newer developments such as Mount Atkinson (Melton) and Mambourin Estate (Werribee) have no public transport at all. These estates also don’t have basic ammenities like supermarkets, pharmacies or medical centres. Communities in these areas are completely dependent on cars, driving up their daily cost of living and leaving people isolated if they don’t drive. Better Buses is a community-led campaign, calling on the Victorian state government to transform the bus network from the existing long, convoluted routes, to a fast, frequent and connected grid of clean, electric buses running 10-minute frequency all day, every day, and increasing our access to jobs, education, healthcare and to each other! Forced car dependency drives up Victoria’s transport emissions, which are the second largest and fastest growing in the state.
In the LGA’s of Brimbank and Melton, 20% of households have 3 or more cars…
Communities in these areas are desperately calling for Better Buses to make sure that everyone has equitable access to jobs, education, healthcare and to each other. Our Sustainable Cities collective has been organising communities in the West to share their stories, and demand action from decision makers to provide a network of buses fast, frequent and connected, so that we can all move safely and comfortably around our neighbourhoods.
What are our key asks?
● Route reform in this term of government ⏳
● Invest in clean, electric buses and state-owned charging infrastructure to decarbonise our bus network ♻️
● Prioritise Melbourne’s Western suburbs, which is the fastest growing area in the country
● Invest in accessible transport to ensure the people living with mobility issues can safely get around our communities
● Adequate community consultation for bus reform in every step of the planning and implementation process and communication of route changes in a way that is understandable to the wider community .
Where are we at now?
Millions of dollars being cut from community health sector
– Big ticket transport projects on hold (incl Melbourne West rail plan and airport rail)
– Opportunity to push for buses as cheaper way to provide transport while govt can’t afford bigger PT projects
– Bus reform being recognised by key industries as the silver bullet to ease traffic congestion and reduce transport emissions
Prior to the state budget announced in May 2023, ALP told us that route reform doesn’t seem too possible until the contract renewal of 30% of route operators in 2025, as there are many smaller operators running 1 or 2 routes, which makes reform difficult. However, we think reform is possible in this term of government, and that the West can be prioritised. If you’re interested to join our collective as we begin to execute our new strategy, sign up to our mailing list, or join us for a collective meeting!