7.1 Shared Rides

Shared Rides look to strike a balance between the flexibility and convenience of private vehicles with trips attuned to demands, while utilising shared transport services to reduce costs on individuals and service providers.

Scheduled buses:

• Commonly suggested option by Council staff and the community. • Two trials of scheduled buses have been undertaken over the past 2 decades: The Golden

Plains Community Bus Trial, in 2021, and the Golden Connections Project – Phase 2 in 2006 (see sections 2.2.1 and 2.2.3). • The 2006 trial had 3 scheduled bus services across the Shire with low patronage. • The 2021 trial was impacted by Covid-19 but also saw low patronage. • Services largely mirror or extend on existing services. • Potential barriers include the cost commitment. Also scheduled public transport is under

State Government jurisdiction. • Literature review of rural and regional transport suggests on-demand services would be more efficient than scheduled services due to limited walking catchment of scheduled services and efficiency of on-demand services for covering low-density populated areas.

Shuttle transport between towns targeting services:

• Increase the number of community-based services in key towns within Golden Plains and increase local transport to these services. For example, providing improved transport for all community members across Golden Plains to facilities such as the Youth Hub in Bannockburn. • As above for services in Inverleigh. • Note: One of the benefits of the Youth hub is that it gives students a place to go before parents pick them up, if they miss the bus. So, it is a car-pooling and an information transport hub already. • Feeder services for existing transport and Council services.

Train reinstatement:

• Replace Ballarat-Bendigo bus with reinstatement of rail services, linking with existing rail services in Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo and expanding network connectivity and tourism potential. The current bus service replicates train service with lower levels of service. • Historical rail lines in the region have been closed or become freight-only lines however, the population growth in Ballarat, Geelong, and the growth expected in smaller towns such as

Bannockburn indicate that investigation into passenger rail services returning to some lines may be warranted.

• The recent Victorian Budget focused on regional investment into infrastructure, ahead of the

Commonwealth Games in 2026. In preparation, the state government is planning to allocate $2.6 billion across Geelong and other regional centres. The Commonwealth Games present an opportunity for major road and public transport improvements, including advocacy for returning rail passenger services from Ballarat to Geelong, including Bannockburn and Meredith. • In the long term, this advocacy would lead to tourism benefits through increased connections to the Grampians and Central Goldfields in the Pyrenees region. • Growth in western Geelong and Bannockburn could also see shorter sections of the network reinstated to include passenger services if longer regional trains are yet to become viable.