Undertaken as part of the Make Shepparton Greater campaign, 2,127 people participated in the survey conducted over a five week period throughout March and April this year.
The survey’s key findings include:
- Fifty five per cent of survey participants rated the current three direct passenger rail services from Shepparton to Melbourne on weekdays as being very inadequate, with a further 26 per cent rating them somewhat inadequate.
- Eighty five per cent of survey participants do not find the current timing of the direct passenger rail services to Melbourne convenient.
- Fifty nine per cent of survey participants have driven to Seymour to catch a more direct and frequent passenger rail service.
- The key factors that would motivate survey participants to use passenger rail services more often are more frequent services, faster services and more direct services to and from Melbourne.
- There is considerable interest from survey participants in a late departure from Melbourne on Friday and Saturday evenings to enable people to return to Shepparton after attending events such as football matches, other sporting events, theatre shows and concerts.
- Sixty three per cent of survey participants were from Shepparton, Kialla or Mooroopna.
Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor Jenny Houlihan has welcomed the release of the report.
“Council took the initiative to consult with the Greater Shepparton community to determine their passenger rail needs and this information will assist the State Government to make informed decisions about Shepparton’s passenger rail services”, Councillor Houlihan said.
“All the anecdotal evidence suggested the community is dissatisfied with the city’s current passenger rail services and this report is empirical evidence to support that premise.
“Council is committed to continuing discussions with the State Government, to work towards providing more frequent and reliable passenger rail services between Shepparton and Melbourne for the people of Greater Shepparton”, she said.
Council has sent copies of the report to several Members of Parliament for their consideration, including the Premier, the Leader of the Opposition, the Minister for Public Transport, the Shadow Minister for Public Transport and the Member for Shepparton. The report has also been sent to the members of the Shepparton Passenger Services Working Group.
The report is available to the public on the Make Shepparton Greater website at Make Shepparton Greater or by contacting Council on 03 5832 9700.
Coordinated by Council with the support of key stakeholders, the Make Shepparton Greater campaign is lobbying the State Government and the Opposition for a commitment to fund several key projects across the municipality in the lead up to the November state election.
The campaign’s projects are increased passenger rail services, construction of the Goulburn Valley Highway Shepparton Bypass, redevelopment of Goulburn Valley Health and revitalisation of the Shepparton central business district.
Anyone wanting to have their say on the passenger rail services can also contribute to the Shepparton Services Working Group which is seeking community submissions. The closing date for submissions is Friday 3 October. Submissions can be lodged via email to leah.smith@dtpli.vic.gov.au; mailed to Leah Smith, Transport Coordination Manager - Hume Region, Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure, 50-52 Clarke Street, Benalla, 3672. More information from 5761 1863.
