November 12, 2013
South Burnett Regional Council plans to subsidise Brisbane Bus Lines to ensure the Brisbane-Murgon-Brisbane bus service keeps running.
The cost to ratepayers of the subsidy – which will run until June 30 next year – is expected to be about $6000 a month.
The privately owned Brisbane Bus Lines announced last week that because of increasing costs, a decision had been made to discontinue the South Burnett run from February 1.
The news met with a storm of protest from local residents and was greeted with disappointment by Mayor Kratzmann and Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington who both vowed to try to find a solution.
Mayor Wayne Kratzmann told southburnett.com.au he understood transport was not a “core role” of Council but said the service was too important to lose.
“Our community has called out almost in unison,” he said.
He was not prepared to risk allowing the service to stop running and then be put out to tender as it may never re-start.
A resolution will be put to the next Council meeting (November 20) to provide support from this year’s Budget.
Mayor Kratzmann said he had spoken to all Councillors and they fully supported the plan in principle.
He said the $30,000-$40,000 to be committed was a large amount of money but in the “big scheme of things” it was worth a lot more to the South Burnett to keep the bus service running while other solutions to the problem could be explored.
The plan is for the buses to continue running to the same timetable at present.
“The next course of action would be to form a working committee made up of Council and community members, representatives of Brisbane Bus Lines and key transport stakeholders to put forward a submission to the government,” Mayor Kratzmann said.
Brisbane Bus Lines stated last week that the only way the run could become eligible for a State Government subsidy was if it stopped running.
Mayor Kratzmann said if this was the only problem, he was sure lobbying could change it.
“Common sense has to prevail here,” he said.
The Council subsidy will enable Brisbane Bus Lines to break even on the route.
“They won’t be making any money out of it,” the Mayor said.
He said Council was only in a position to be able to provide the subsidy “because of the great fiscal management” of the council team.
“We are not running deficits like the State and Federal governments. We have worked very hard to keep the Budget in the black which has provided a bit of room,” he said.
He had already spoken to neighbouring councils – Cherbourg, Toowoomba and Somerset – who will also be affected by the closure, however it was not clear yet whether they would also contribute financially to the project.
“Whatever the outcome of the decision of neighbouring Councils, South Burnett was committed to the service being retained,” Mayor Kratzmann said.
The proposal follows a meeting between the Mayor and company representatives on Friday in Brisbane.
Brisbane Bus Lines senior director Ian Mitchell said “it was refreshing to have discussions with Mayor Kratzmann on Friday about the difficulties the service has been facing over several years. It had seemed to us that we were a forgotten essential service”.
Mr Mitchell said the decision to cease services had been personally very difficult. His grandfather settled on property outside Murgon in 1918 and the family still holds that property today. His son James volunteered with BlazeAid for six months helping locals with repairs after the recent floods.
“In the end though, if the numbers don’t add up no amount of personal attachment to the service will pay the bills,” Mr Mitchell said.
“The efforts of local Councils, especially South Burnett which has taken a lead role, is most welcome and I look forward to working with Mayor Kratzmann and all interested parties to maintain the services. Locals know what is needed.”
- southburnett.com.au attempted to get a reaction from Brisbane Bus Lines but was told the only comment the company would make was contained in the South Burnett Regional Council media release (54kb PDF)
