Queensland 50c transport fare benefits questioned in regional FNQ
A Far North public transport advocate believes the State Government’s 50c transport scheme is proof regional communities deserve the essential service – no matter what it costs.
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If the State Government can afford to save Queenslanders $1m in one day with its 50c public transport fare scheme, it can afford to trial public buses in regional communities that do not currently have a Translink network service, a Far North advocate says.
During a recent visit to Cairns, Premier Steven Miles was asked what Labor had in store as cost-of-living relief for regional communities outside the Translink networks - now operating on 50c fares.
“Good governments do what’s needed, we do what matters for every single part of the state, and 50c fares have been incredibly successful in the south east,” Mr Miles said.
“But we have policies we announced just (last week) that are designed to support people in regional Queensland – so (vehicle) registration bills will have that 20 per cent discount, in acknowledgment that in many parts of the state you have to drive.”
While the government wouldn’t be expected to install public transport networks in every regional community just to deliver the benefits of its trial, outside Cairns and Innisfail – which are serviced by Translink buses – no Far North town will enjoy the 50c fares.
That leaves most of the Cassowary Coast with a population of 29,000, Tablelands with 27,000 people, Mareeba Shire with 22,000 and the Douglas Shire with 12,000 relying on private transport, and “paying for the statewide subsidy,” David Haratsis – a public transport advocate from Port Douglas said.
The 2024 Douglas Shire mayoral candidate said he had pinned his campaign on establishing a public bus system, and believed the idea fell through based on economics, but argued “if there is political will for a statewide subsidy,” there should be political will to service the regional community.
“That $1m saving in one day- that’s a saving for a minority of people, predominantly in the southeast of the state, that is actually borne by every single taxpayer within the state,” Mr Haratsis said.
“So if you’re going to say public transport won’t work at Port Douglas, there’s not enough people or it won’t be profitable, public transport provides a social profit, not a cash profit.
“It’s there, funded by the government, because it provides an essential service.”
Mr Haratsis said a recent social media post by Queensland Labor which highlighted the entire state with the caption: “Places with 50c public transport fares” was either a political stunt, or the rejection of a public transport system for the Douglas Shire due to “there being no money in it to make it viable” – was false.
Mr Haratsis the “social profit” of a public bus system for the Douglas Shire included providing cheap transport for workers priced out of Port Douglas and living in Mossman, transport for the elderly requiring access to Cairns for medical appointments, and cheap transport for uni students commuting to Smithfield.
“There’s many more people that would benefit, but you can’t tell me all those people wouldn’t appreciate 50c fares.
“And it’s not very costly to set up, we already have bus stops, we have roads, there’s not a lot of infrastructure – so why can’t we just trial it for 12 months?”
He said he envisioned a system that would link Douglas Shire to Palm Cove – which would then connect residents to the entire Cairns network, and that a public system “would not impede on routes currently serviced by private operators, but fill the gaps.”
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Originally published as Queensland 50c transport fare benefits questioned in regional FNQ
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