Tuesday, 5 April 2022

Forest Hill electorate bus services

Mr ANGUS (Forest Hill) (19:21): (6314) I raise a matter of importance for the attention of the Minister for Public Transport. The action I seek is for the minister to investigate why there is no longer a bus service along Highbury Road in Burwood East between Blackburn Road and Middleborough Road and to reinstate the former bus service along this road. Buses in Burwood East currently run north–south on both Blackburn and Middleborough roads. They also run along a short section of Highbury Road east of Blackburn Road. However, there is no bus service on Highbury Road between Blackburn Road and Middleborough Road. This is a distance of about 1600 metres. This means that anyone wanting to catch a bus has to walk more than 800 metres to get to the nearest bus stop.

I have been contacted by local residents regarding this issue. These residents find themselves in a position where they either have to walk almost a kilometre to get to the nearest bus stop or else make alternate transport arrangements. Many of the residents in this area are older people, and thus the walking of long distances is infeasible. On the north side of Highbury Road, in the immediate area alone, there are almost 500 residents over the age of 65 years. Transport is particularly vital for older people who are often confined to their homes or restricted in their transport options. It provides the elderly with an essential link to family, friends and the wider community as well as providing the ability to attend vital medical appointments. The ability for older residents to maintain their independence, especially when no longer able to drive themselves, is very important. According to the national Council on the Ageing, about 92 per cent of seniors have at least one chronic disease and 77 per cent have at least two. The proportion of older people who regularly use public transport is highest amongst the 70 to 74 age group, before declining with age.

Minister, residents of the Forest Hill district should have access to local public transport and be able to use this for their transport needs. This is an important issue for many residents, particularly older residents, and needs to be addressed. Thus I look forward to receiving a positive response to this matter so I can convey this to my constituents, which will then assist them to be able to move more easily around the area.