Tuesday, 9 September 2025

Western Metropolitan Region

David ETTERSHANK (Western Metropolitan) (12:52): (1809) My question is for the Minister for Public and Active Transport. A constituent in Newport is frustrated by the lack of frequent east–‍west buses across Hobsons Bay, making it hard to access key destinations like Millers Junction and businesses along the Kororoit Creek Road. A 2021 transport planning study conducted by the Department of Transport and Hobsons Bay council found that many bus routes in the area are infrequent, unreliable, indirect, cover a limited catchment, have poor punctuality and have low productivity compared to other bus services in metropolitan Melbourne. It highlights the need to improve bus frequency, reliability and coverage, especially in high-projected population and employment growth areas. With Victoria’s bus plan fast accumulating dust, my constituent asks: can the minister give an update on how the department is responding to this study?