Council
17 July, 2024
Transport trouble
City of Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery has called on the State to fund more public transport across the city suggesting increased services and bus rapid transport system could be the solution.
Moreton Bay’s Hills District (Ferny Hills, Arana Hills and Everton Hills) was named one of the worst for public transport in the Climate Council report released this week, ‘Next Stop Suburbia: Making Shared Transport Work for Everyone in Aussie Cities’.
“We know public transport in our City has not kept pace with demand, so it is refreshing to see this called out,” Mayor Flannery said.
With the Hills District being identified as having the worst availability of frequent public transport, Mayor Flannery is asking for all of Moreton Bay to be looked at.
“We know that only 3% of resident’s trips are made by rail and an even worse, 2% by bus”, he said.
“This is unsustainable with congestion choking roads and the City of Moreton already supporting rapid population growth on top of the State’s demands in their Shaping SEQ 2023 Regional Plan.
“It is therefore concerning to us that the State’s current plans are devoid of any meaningful public transport planning.”
Mayor Flannery said bus services and infrastructure is key to connect the growing city, with the State needing to factor it into the planning for new roads, especially in new areas such as Waraba.
“We’ve been told the demand is not there for our public transport, but that was measured years ago and with limited services, why would people bother”, he said.
“We need to create that demand with reliable public transport services in the first place, especially in the lead up to the Olympics 2032.
“Council is working hard to ensure active transport planning is prioritised for new growth areas, and improved where possible, but the State Government via Translink also have a role to play and they need to give us a chance.
Mayor Flannery said public transport is key to increase local employment opportunities and shorten resident’s journey to work.
“We need to make it easy for people to commute using public transport. This is the most environmentally and economically sustainable approach to ensure City of Moreton Bay’s liveability.”
