“Many new housing estates have been developed over that time, meaning that many residents are simply not connected to the existing bus routes,” state Member for Northern Victoria Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell said.
Citing several limitations with the current network, including no services on Sundays, the inaccessibility of public transport near places of employment, and long, infrequent bus rides to Shepparton from Tatura, Ms Tyrrell is calling for an immediate review.
“Tatura is the third largest town in Greater Shepparton and is just 20 minutes’ drive from the Shepparton CBD, yet a bus trip for residents to Shepparton could take up to two hours,” Ms Tyrrell said.
The government released Victoria’s Bus Plan in 2021, aimed at developing bus networks around Victoria that will increase bus travel.
Ms Tyrrell said Shepparton had been ignored in the plan.
“The government allocated funding in the 2025-26 state budget to conduct bus network reviews in Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat and the Bellarine Peninsula, yet Greater Shepparton misses out again,” Ms Tyrrell said.
“Fifteen years since a review means our current bus network is not meeting the needs of our community and I call on the minister to support Greater Shepparton City Council and ensure a thorough review is completed as a matter of urgency.”
Ms Tyrrell’s request came after a recent meeting with City of Greater Shepparton Mayor Shane Sali and council chief executive Fiona Le Gassick, where the need for the review was raised.
Speaking during the adjournment debate in a speech directed to Public Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams, Ms Tyrrell said the current public bus services did not meet the needs of a population that had increased by over 12,000 people in the past 15 years.
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