Regional Network Development Plan - Submission from Mary-Anne Thomas, Member for Macedon
Future Transport Needs for Romsey & Lancefield
Introduction
Access to public transport is a critical issue for the growing communities of Romsey and Lancefield. Sufficient, reliable and integrated public transport is essential to these towns to support access to employment, education and health services.
Since becoming the Member for Macedon in December 2014 I have been consistently approached by community members from the Romsey and Lancefield districts with their public transport concerns. As a result I held a public transport forum in Romsey on Monday 7 September to gather more information on the needs of these communities both now and in the future.
The insightsin this Regional Network Development Plansubmission are based on findings from thepublic forum and information gathered over the course of 2015.
About Macedon
Macedon is an electorate of small towns and communities to the East and West of the Calder Freeway, from Gisborne in the South, to Elphinstone and Sutton Grange in the North, Daylesford to the West and Romsey and Lancefield in the East.
We are home to young families, farmers, tradespeople, artists, retirees, commuters, tree-changers and families that have been here for generations including Wurindjeri, Taungurungand Jaara people.
Food and wine, tourism, our natural environment, agriculture, building and construction and health and community services are all a part of our economic mix and we are home to a terrific spirit of volunteerism through our emergency services agencies, environmental and Landcare groups, community sport and service clubs.
The electorate of Macedon has more Bendigo line V/Line stationswithin its boundaries than any other electorate in Victoria. These stations being:
-Clarkefield
-Riddells Creek
-Gisborne
-Macedon
-Woodend
-Kyneton
-Malmsbury
The electorate is also serviced by a limited bus network that connects to outlying townships and links withV/Line train services.
About Romsey & Lancefield
Romsey and Lancefield are two growing townships located 9km apart along the Melbourne-Lancefield Road.
Romsey in particular has seen an expansion of housing estates providing young families with rural amenity and more affordable housing options than metropolitan Melbourne
According to latest data released by Macedon Ranges Shire Council[1], Lancefield district population is predicted to increase from 2699 to 3295 by 2026 and Romsey districts growth from 5675 to 6922.
Romsey and Lancefield will have similar population growth predictions of about 1.3 per cent.
The two townships are currently serviced by a public coach service, with the closest V/Line station being Clarkefield (15km from Romsey & 24km from Lancefield) and the closest Metro service being Sunbury (31km from Romsey & 40km from Lancefield).
Community concerns regarding the current public transport system
Poor connection to Clarkefield Station
Under the current V/Line timetable there are four coach services that connect Romsey and Lancefield to Clarkefield Station each weekday morning and three services that connect the station with these towns in the evening[2].
The feeling in the community is that these connections are not well planned due to the below reasons:
-There is no public transport service from Romsey or Lancefield on Sunday resulting in non-existent connection to Bendigo line V/Line services on this day.
-There are no coach connections to and from Clarkefield Station between the weekday hours of 8.10am & 6.00pm.
-As the connecting coach service runs to a strict timetable from Clarkefield Station to Romsey & Lancefield, if a V/Line train is delayed in the evening the coach will depart from Clarkefield Station, often without taking any passengers, before the train that it is intended to connect with has arrived. This results in passengers having to wait at Clarkefield Station for the next bus connection which can be in excess of 45mins.
-The 8.10am bus departs Lancefield and arrives at Clarkefield Station at 8.32am. The next Melbourne bound V/Line train stopping at Clarkefield Station does not arrive until 9.59am which results in a 1.27hour wait. At present commuters can choose to remain on the bus which alights at Sunbury Station at 8.45am and catch the 8.58am V/Line service yet with the changes to passengers embarking at Sunbury Station coming into effect in 2016 this will be an issue as the service will no longer be available.
-The 10.30am bus service from Lancefield does not stop at Clarkefield Station and runs direct to Sunbury Station on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and direct to Gisborne on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This will be an issueas above on days that the coach travels direct to Sunbury when changes come into effect regarding V/Line passengers embarking at Sunbury Station. It is also an issue on days that the coach is diverted to Gisborne as this is travelling backwards along the transport route adding travel time to the journey.
-A further issue resulting from the above is on days that the coach travels to Sunbury (Monday, Wednesday & Friday) it arrives at Sunbury Station at 11.10am with the connecting Metro leaving the station at 11.40am which means in a 30min wait and the connectingV/Line leaving at 11.52am which results in a 42min wait.
Recommendation:
That connectivity between coaches and trains be reviewed as a matter of urgency so that passengers are not required to wait at Clarkefield for an unreasonable time and that coach services are flexible to respond to V/Line delays.
Express Trains not stopping at Clarkefield Station
The community is concerned that with the district’s growth in the future and that the scheduled changes to Sunbury V/Line passenger policywill mean V/Line services are less accessible. This could be readily ameliorated by including an additional stop at Clarkefield during peak times.
Recommendation:
That Clarkefield Station beincluded on the Express Train route, particularly the services departing from Bendigo at 7.45am and departing from Southern Cross at 17.31pm.
Transport connections for students attending Sunbury Downs Secondary College
For a range of reasons including sport, part-time work and friendship groups, a number of parents in Romsey and Lancefield choose to send their childrento Sunbury Downs Secondary College.
A funded school bus is provided for students attending Kyneton Secondary College and for those who attend Catholic school in Sunbury. Students attending Sunbury Downs Secondary College are required to make their own way there.
At present there are two buses that travel from Romsey to Sunbury before 9.00am each morning. The first bus departs at 6.40am arriving at Sunbury Station at 7.05am and the second bus departs at 8.20am and arrives at 8.45am.
There is one morning school bus to Sunbury Downs Secondary College that departs from Sunbury Station at 8.20am.
The connection issue that arises from this timetable is that students either need to catch the 6.40am bus from Romsey which arrives at 7.05am in Sunbury and wait until 8.20am for the connecting school bus or catch the 8.20am Romsey bus and then catch the next public transport option which is the 9.02am Route 485 bus which result in the student arriving late to school.
Recommendation:
That the bus timetable be amended to get children to school on time.
Improvements to Clarkefield Station Facilities
Due to the growth in the district, the patronage at Clarkefield Station will continue to grow over the coming years as more people who work in Melbourne choose to live in the area due to its housing affordability.
At present, Clarkefield Station provides basic amenity compared to other stations along the Bendigo line including as Riddells Creek and Gisborne.
This is evident in regards to the car parking area which is unsealed and inadequate for demand.
Recommendation:
That Clarkefield Station and carpark be upgraded to reflect its increased and increasing patronage.
Lack of Parking at Sunbury Station
As the coach connection to Clarkefield does not suit the entire community’s needs, some residents choose to drive to Sunbury and begin their public transport journey from this location and take advantage of Metro fares.
Residents are concerned that there is a significant lack of parking spaces atSunbury.
Recommendation:
That parking be expanded at Sunbury.
No Myki Readers on the Coach Service
Coaches that connect residents to the surrounding stations do not have Myki readers installed on them which results incommuters having to buy a ticket on the coach and then swipe on at the connecting train station.
Recommendation:
Myki system integrated on connecting coach services.
Conclusion
This submission draws together the main themes emerging from conversations with community members in my electorate. The discussion is not exhaustive but highlights those issues that have been consistently raised regarding public transport issues faced in the Romsey & Lancefield districts.
The general feeling in these communities is that planning around transport needs for the towns of Romsey and Lancefield has been a secondary concern for Public Transport Victoria in the past.
It is important to note that the communities of Romsey and Lancefield are growing and will continue to grow and it is essential that a cohesive transport plan is developed to service these communities.
As the representative of the Romsey and Lancefield communities in the Parliament of Victoria, I will continue to make representations on their behalf to ensure the best transport solutions are found.
Mary-Anne Thomas
State Member for Macedon
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