By Jeremy Cook
The Greens have pledged to add two high frequency bus routes in Warwick as part of a $300 million election commitment to expand public transport networks across regional Queensland.
Warwick’s two additional routes would run every 10 minutes under the proposal and would be modelled off of Brisbane’s CityGlider bus services which run at a similar frequency.
Translink currently operates five bus services in town which are provided by local contractor Haidley’s Panoramic Coaches.
The plan would lock in a $300 million statewide annual investment and a further $80 million per year to transition from 50 cent fares to free public transport by 2026.
The Greens also proposed investing up to $4 billion in state and federal funding on significant expansions of rail infrastructure in the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Logan and Toowoomba.
Greens transport spokesperson Michael Berkman, who holds the Brisbane electorate of Maiwar in the city’s inner-west, said the party wanted to “make public transport a real option” for regional Queenslanders.
Southern Downs Greens candidate David Newport said they wanted to give everyone “the freedom to leave their car at home by making sure they have free and frequent public transport options to get where they’re going”.
“We will make Translink an independent authority with the power and resources to analyse potential demand and provide services anywhere they are needed,” Mr Newport said.
“Ultimately, transport networks should be determined by experts and local communities – not designed by politicians in Brisbane.”
The policy proposed similar high frequency services in up to 25 regional towns and cities throughout the state but did not clarify where particular routes would run. Translink would instead be instructed to develop network plans in partnership with local communities and councils which respond to the needs of each town.
The proposal attracted a less than glowing response from other Southern Downs election candidates.
Southern Downs incumbent LNP candidate James Lister said funding should go towards fixing roads before adding bus services.
“For Warwick, this looks like a policy drafted on the back of a beer coaster,” Mr Lister said.
“Did they consult Haidley’s Coaches, who are TransLink bus service provider in Warwick, about this before announcing it? I doubt it,” he said.
“Bus patronage in Warwick is already extremely low, and most services have only a couple of passengers on board, even now with 50 cent fares being used in Warwick for not much more than sightseeing.
“People never ask me for additional town bus services in Warwick, but they are always telling me how our roads are stuffed and getting worse.
“That’s where this money needs to go.”
One Nation candidate Liz Suduk described the high frequency buses as “unnecessary in Warwick”.
“The volume of commuters for that size bus run is just not there,” Ms Suduk said.
“We are not Brisbane.”
Ms Suduk said she believed a daily return bus from Warwick to Toowoomba should be restored.
“I have received numerous inquiries about a return to a regular bus run to Toowoomba,” she said.
“It was stopped during Covid and never reinstated. I believe this needs to be brought back.”
Ms Suduk said also supported expanding the bus network to include a daily bus route running from Stanthorpe to Warwick and then further north onto Toowoomba.
“The people in our communities need to get to appointments for specialist doctors and other medical treatments, that are not available in our towns,” she said.
