The State Government's latest public transport announcements have again highlighted significant inequities between metropolitan and regional Victoria, with just three improvements identified across regional areas and no commitment to review outdated bus networks in growing regional cities like Greater Shepparton.
While the announcement delivers half‑price public transport and a city bus bonanza focused on metropolitan routes, regional communities like Greater Shepparton continue to miss out on the planning needed to deliver accessible services.
Mayor, Councillor Shane Sali said the outcome was disappointing.
"Greater Shepparton is a significantly large and fast‑growing regional city, and it is unacceptable that we continue to miss out on basic public transport planning," he said.
"Around 25 per cent of Victorians live in regional areas, yet many residents simply can't access reliable public transport. In some areas you can't get a bus on a Sunday, and in others services are extremely limited."
Cr Sali said the issue was not the cost of public transport, but availability.
"Half‑price transport only highlights the gaps when there's no service to catch," he said.
Greater Shepparton's bus network has not been comprehensively reviewed in around 20 years, despite significant population growth, intensive investment in new housing estates, and expanding communities in Shepparton's growth corridor, Toolamba and Tatura.
"For a city of our size and growth trajectory, this level of neglect is unacceptable," Cr Sali said.
Council has repeatedly raised the need for a review, but even once started, it can take 12 to 18 months to complete meaning any real improvement is still years away.
"Our community has a right to accessible, reliable public transport, and we need the State Government to genuinely partner with us," Cr Sali said.
"Regional cities like Greater Shepparton want to grow and succeed but without accessible public transport, we're being asked to do that with one hand tied behind our back."
