Noosa pushes to plug back into electric bus trial

A lobby group would like to see some sort of financial commitment to advance the proposed Noosa trial services.

Noosa Council had to withdraw from its proposed trial to trial electric buses in Noosa.

A residents' lobby group says Noosa Council needs to revisit its previous push to deliver residents an electric bus service.

Noosa Shire Residents and Ratepayers Association president Adrian Williams said his group would like to see a financial commitment to advance the proposed Noosa trial services abandoned some years ago.

"They're making them on the Gold Coast apparently and they've got a couple running there, but we don't seem to be able to get one up here for a number of reasons," Mr Williams said.

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"There's a few other legal issues but we're still hoping on that one, that's a necessity."

Noosa was hailed by the State Government in 2015 as a leading the way when it sought to run a trial with electric bus builder Optare and TransLink.

The plan was to operate three 10m, 29-seater buses to replace the conventional diesel 12.5m buses on a coastal run.

Problems with meeting the airconditioning guidelines eventually resulted in the plug being pulled on the pioneering service.

A group of Noosa ratepayers are keen for Noosa to revisit its cancelled electric bus trial.

Noosa Council communication manager Ken Furdek said residents would have the opportunity to put forward their ideas as part of an extensive community consultation program to get under way next month.

"Covid continues to have an impact on budget deliberations, however councillors are eager to hear the views of the community regarding initiatives and how to balance the budget," Mr Furdek said.

The ratepayer call out comes as council this week reviews its Go Noosa peak period traffic management initiative.

The program resumed over the Christmas school holidays.

Noosa Council transport innovation project officer Joanna Ferris wants councillors to support the April 2-18 free Easter bus services to help ease congestion in the town's notoriously clogged coastal roads.

One of her major recommendations is to delegate authority to Noosa CEO Brett de Chastel the power over the extended break to cancel, stand down or reinstate the free bus services including the popular frequent loop service to Noosa Junction, Noosaville and Hastings St.

Mr de Chastel would be authorised to act based on Queensland Government's Covid Safe Public Transport Plan.

Her report, presented to the council on Monday, said the free bus patronage "was not significantly reduced" despite the COVID-19 impacts including the Brisbane lockdown.

She estimates the cost of Easter's Go Noosa program to be $175,000 to be paid from the sustainable ratepayer levy.

Ms Ferris said about 66 per cent of free bus riders who did the service feedback survey respondents would have made their trip by car if the buses were not free and 60 per cent said they would probably use Go Noosa in the future.

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