Ros SPENCE (Yuroke) (11:41:00) — (14 954) My constituency question is to the Minister for Public Transport. What information can the minister provide regarding the potential for a new bus route to provide public transport connections for thousands of residents living in the rapidly growing communities along Donnybrook Road, Mickleham?

I regularly attend the Merrifield Farmers’ Market in Mickleham, and the need for a bus service to Craigieburn is raised by almost everyone I speak to. This is also a very common topic raised with me in response to new residents letters that I send out. There is currently a private service, the Merrifield Connect, run by Merrifield estate, that is incredibly popular, with around 280 weekly user trips and over 4000 trips since commencement in February. However, this service is limited to that one estate and there are thousands more residents who would benefit from a route service to Craigieburn. I appreciate the minister’s consideration of this issue and look forward to her response.

Response: 

I thank the Member for Yuroke for her question, and commend her tireless and ongoing advocacy on behalf of her constituents for improved public transport services.

The Andrews Labor Government has invested around $200 million to build stronger, better-connected networks including new routes and services, creating more direct routes, and increasing service frequencies.

Bus services in the Craigieburn network received a range of upgrades to routes and frequencies, including:

• Routes 531, 532, 533, 537 and 544 were revised to improve punctuality and coordination with trains
• Route 528 was extended to Craigieburn Central via Elevation Boulevard
• Route 529 received more frequent services in the morning peak
• Route 541 was extended, providing better bus access to key community locations
• Route 511 was implemented to provide services between Craigieburn South and Mandalay Circuit.

I have asked Transport for Victoria to consider the feedback you have raised on the behalf of Mickleham residents as part of future network planning.

Hon Jacinta Allan MP
Member for Bendigo East
Minister for Public Transport