Thursday, 2 April 2026

 Kim O’KEEFFE (Shepparton) (09:59): It is a really distressing time with the uncertainty of the current fuel crisis. Whilst this government encourages the use of public transport and is offering it for free, public transport should be a cost-of-living measure available for all communities. But my electorate already has insufficient bus and train services and is already experiencing overcrowding. We have parts of my electorate with minimal or no bus services. This has been an ongoing issue and is something that our local bus companies, our local council, the community and I have been calling on the Minister for Public and Active Transport to address. It has been over 16 years since we have had a bus review, and during that time our region has grown, as has the need for increased transport services.

Regional Victoria is very different to the city. We do not have trams or the volume of services. People need to get to where they need to go, whether that be to work, to a medical appointment or to TAFE. I had Dr Chik Sing Chua contact me just this past week calling for public bus services for his patients. The recent completion of the Shepparton line upgrade was to take the daily train services from Shepparton to Melbourne from five to nine. That still has not happened. Overcrowding on the train has seen many commuters not able to get a seat. The government makes an announcement without the services to support it.

Cost-of-living pressure is already pushing families to the limit, and we know that with the increased cost of fuel, people are cutting back on food and struggling to pay their bills and keep a roof over their head. Regional communities deserve to be supported not only during these challenging times but every single day.