Thursday, 12 September 2024

 Sarah CONNOLLY (Laverton) (14:52): (825) My question is for the Minister for Public and Active Transport. Last week the minister announced that our government has awarded zero-emission contracts with three of our major bus companies, those being CDC, Dysons and Kinetic. As the minister knows, two of these companies, CDC and Kinetic, have depots based in my electorate of Laverton, with CDC located in Truganina and Kinetic in Sunshine West. They play a really important role in providing bus services throughout my electorate, with CDC being the main bus contractor for services in Melbourne’s west. Starting from next year, these contracts will require the replacement of existing diesel buses with 600 new electric buses by 2035. My electorate in Melbourne’s west love buses, and they are crying out for new and improved electric bus services. So my question for the minister is: how will these new contracts which seek to replace older diesel-chugging buses with cleaner electric buses benefit Laverton?