Better buses promised

By Lachlan Ellis

An extension of bus services in Maddingley have been promised by a local MP, if she and her party win the upcoming state election on November 26.

Member for Buninyong Michaela Settle visited the Christians Bus Company business last Friday, which operates the 433, 434, and 435 bus routes.

Ms Settle promised that if the Andrews Government is re-elected in November, and she wins the new seat of Eureka, the local bus service would be extended to Maddingley, catering to the area’s growing population.

“I’ve done a lot of doorknocking around the Maddingley area, and I think what’s really important is very obvious in Bacchus Marsh – we’ve got to keep the infrastructure up with the growth. It’s wonderful to see the area thriving and growing, but that also means that we need to get those services in there,” Ms Settle said.

“This is a commitment from the Labor Government if we’re re-elected, to extend that 433 bus route up into Stonehill Estate. That’s a really growing community, and I’d love to see those services there. It’s about kids getting to their part-time job at The Village, it’s about families getting to the vital services they need.”

Minister for Public Transport, Ben Carroll, said the Andrews Government would “keep locals on the move, whether it be accessing important appointments, attending school or university, or heading to the local shops for supplies”.

“We are focused on delivering a modern, accessible, environmentally sustainable bus network that increases the number of people choosing to take the bus,” Mr Carroll said.

The service extension would complement the Ballarat Line Upgrade, which has provided an upgrade to Bacchus Marsh Station and an extra 25 train services to Bacchus Marsh per week.

By 2025, every new bus added to the Victorian bus network will be a zero emissions vehicle, in line with the Government’s plans to halve Victoria’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

The bus route extension hasn’t yet been costed by the Department of Transport.