It is with pleasure that I rise to speak on another fantastic announcement for
Western Victoria Region under the Brumby Labor government’s $18 million
Transport Connections initiative.
This summer a new bus service connecting people living in the
Colac area to Lorne will operate seven days a week. There has been a
longstanding need for transport in the very busy summer months with the
substantial influx for employment and recreation in the Lorne area. The service
will run five times a day starting at 6.00 a.m. and finishing at 12.30 a.m. the
next day to meet the working hours of hospitality employees during the peak
season. It will also be useful for young people to access the great beaches and
recreational activities in Lorne this summer. The cost for patrons is minimal: a
ticket from Colac to Lorne will cost $4.40. The bus will also service Deans
Marsh and Birregurra.
In last Monday’s edition of the Colac Herald, Colac father Greg
Marwood said cheap fares could benefit struggling and working families. He said
he thought it was a fantastic idea that opens up all sorts of avenues for
teenagers if their parents have to work.
I take this opportunity to acknowledge the communities of Colac
and Lorne for being involved, particularly the hardworking, tight-knit community
of Lorne, in making sure that this project came to fruition. I also congratulate
the officers of the Surf Coast and Colac Otway shires for making sure that
communities in their shires are connected.