Community consultation on Victoria’s first ever short, medium and long-term plan to provide better public transport will kick off in Gippsland later this month with stakeholder workshops in Warragul on 23 June and Sale on 24 June.

Consultation will then continue across regional Victoria in the coming months, providing critical input into the development of the ground-breaking plan for better, more frequent and coordinated train and bus services in regional Victoria.

The terms of reference for the Regional Network Development Plan were also released today, along with the make-up of the Regional Transport Advisory Group that will drive consultation with local communities and provide recommendations to the Andrews Government throughout the development of the Plan.

As announced last month, the Advisory Group will be co-Chaired by Gippsland Regional Development Committee Chair, Richard Elkington, and Northern Victorian MP, Jaclyn Symes.

Joining the co-Chairs on the Regional Transport Advisory Group are:
• Jo Bourke, Executive Director, Wimmera Development Association
• Bruce Anson, CEO, Warrnambool City Council
• Janet Dore, CEO, Transport Accident Commission
• Trevor Budge, Manager of Strategy, City of Greater Bendigo
• Patience Harrington, Chief Executive, City of Wodonga
• David McKenzie, Chair, Committee for Greater Shepparton
• Judy Verlin AM, Chair, Committee for Ballarat

The Plan will move Victoria away from ad hoc service improvements, towards a more coordinated regional public transport network where train and bus services work together to get people where they need to go quicker and safer.

The plan will also consider infrastructure upgrades, network extensions and rolling stock, including next generation high capacity regional trains to cater for peak demand.

More information and access to the online forums will be available at ptv.vic.gov.au/getinvolved in the coming weeks.

Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria, Harriet Shing

“It’s wonderful that public transport in Gippsland will finally get the attention it deserves, with a short, medium and long term strategy for better services.”

“As co-Chair of the Advisory Group, Mr Elkington is a passionate advocate for Gippsland and will provide a strong local voice during the development of the Regional Network Development plan.”

“I’m looking forward to working with Mr Elkington and to hearing from Gippsland public transport users so that we can improve services, frequency and connectivity across the board.”

“The Andrews Labor Government is listening to Gippsland’s communities and working towards better public transport for passengers now and well into the future – that’s what the Regional Network Development Plan is all about.”