After advocating for changes since 2020, Mount Gambier City Council has been granted an extension to one of its bus routes to include the local Foodbank as an additional stop.
Despite the extension to the North West Loop being granted, and a bus stop to be built outside the Mount Gambier Foodbank Regional Hub at 23 Cave Road, council members at the recent meeting declared more needs to be done.
Council has been advocating for changes to the local bus service for years, with the Mount Gambier Public Bus Service operating in its current form for over 30 years.
“Council has continued to advocate to Minister Koutsantonis for a more contemporary public bus service in Mount Gambier,” Mount Gambier mayor Lynette Martin says.
“Amongst many shortcomings with the current service, we have pointed out the inadequate servicing of many other areas of our city.
“We have been pushing it and provided the Minister with a map of all the service plans we deem are necessary for the city. We will keep advocating.”
The Council released a Regional Public Transport Review back in 2020 that highlighted issues with the current service, and unveiled the current bus service does not meet the service provision benchmark for a town with a population of 3000 to 6000 people.
Operating at a capacity that is less than the lowest benchmark detailed in the Bus Industry Confederation’s (BIC) Population benchmarks for regional town public transport service, the report says these numbers were “concerning given the City of Mount Gambier has a population of 27,000”.
The current service also has restricted hours of operation, including running only on weekdays, and does not service the Mount Gambier Hospital, Foodbank, Wulanda Recreation and Convention Centre and senior lifestyle villages of Woodlands and Hallmont.
The report outlined that the current service delivery mode for mass passenger transport in Mount Gambier has historically been underfunded and remains underfunded. This statement is reflected in the significant inequity in bus service funding between metropolitan and regional South Australia, with Adelaide receiving a $234 per capita spend, compared with only $11 per capita in regional areas.
“We should have the same quality of life as they in Adelaide and Mount Barker,” councillor Paul Jenner says.
“Yes, it will cost more dollars, but our community deserves it.”
The original recommendation by Council included pursuing the bus stop installation – which will be at the cost of Council – however an amendment and additional motions were put forward.
The amended motion would see Council thank Minister Koutsantonis for the suggested minor improvement to the bus service, and reinforce that while Foodbank is a priority site, it is one of many sites for which improved access is required.
“We have been advocating this issue for quite some time. They have thrown us a bone in terms of a bus stop at Foodbank, but we need much, much more than that,” councillor Frank Morello says.
“We really need to step up the campaign and really get some traction on this important issue.”