Victoria is side-stepping the rising cost of fuel by offering free public transport. If only public transport was an option in the Northern Rivers, let alone it being free!
As one parent has pointed out, ‘more youth-oriented support’ is needed in the Mullumbimby area as well as accessible public transport throughout the region.
Currently, the fastest bus trip from Mullumbimby to Kingscliff, where some young people can access TAFE, is 1 hour and 45 minutes at a cost of between $14 and $20, and there are only limited services to places such as Byron Bay, Brunswick Heads, and Ballina, especially over the weekends.
The Draft North Coast Strategic Regional Integrated Transport Plan, released by Transport for NSW (TfNSW) for public exhibition, paints a stark picture of a region heavily reliant on cars, with around ‘93 per cent of residents currently commuting by private vehicle’ as reported in last week’s Echo.
The report identified young people, older residents, Aboriginal communities, and isolated rural towns as being disproportionately affected by poor public transport and limited travel options, warning that transport inequality is contributing to broader social and economic disadvantage across the region.
Local MP Tamara Smith also highlighted that it impacts low-income residents and those struggling to obtain a driver’s licence under NSW’s mandatory supervised driving requirements.
This is not a new issue. As a teenager growing up in the area I was familiar with hitchhiking from Mullum to Byron, or other areas and back, or jumping into overloaded cars, because that was the only option. I got to meet all sorts of interesting people, truck drivers, and more. Luckily, I managed this without serious incident. Not everyone else was so lucky.
The population has increased across the Northern Rivers by more than 100,000 since 1991 – yet the abysmal public transport remains the same issue today as it was then.
The TfNSW draft transport plan is looking at a range of possibilities to address these issues, including on-demand transport services, a service that has been trialled and is available from the suburbs of Alstonville/Wollongbar and Chilcotts Grass/Goonellabah to the transport hubs of Lismore and Ballina. It also suggests improving public transport linkages between smaller towns and major regional hubs for apprenticeships (think TAFE in Kingscliff and Woollongbar), higher education, and work.
The plan is also looking at active transport links such as footpaths and cycleways – imagine if we could cycle from Mullum to Byron Bay. And while e-bikes have significant issues to be addressed, they also represent a real option for younger people to get around independently if safe cycle routes can be established between key locations. Imagine if the rail trail actually got built?
What do you think would work to improve public transport across the region? What would support our young people to access fun and community, education, and jobs? What is it that would help older people get to their appointments, to the shops, and even to catch up with friends?
You can provide your feedback on the Draft North Coast Strategic Regional Integrated Transport Plan at www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/sritp/north-coast.
Aslan Shand, editor
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