Media Releases

Residents across rural and regional Victoria who require assistance travelling to medical appointments in Melbourne are being encouraged to access free help through the Medical Companion Project.

Nationals Member for Rodney Paul Weller said the initiative, launched earlier this year, was improving access to public transport for many country Victorians who were frail, disabled, ill or feeling anxious about their journey to the city.

Mr Weller said the Medical Companion Project was funded through the Victorian Coalition Government’s Transport Connections Program which aimed to help communities work together to improve access and local transport options.

He said the Cohuna District Hospital had undertaken a lead agency role in the project and Travellers Aid Australia was providing the day-to-day coordination and service delivery.

“This important project has brought a dedicated team of trained Melbourne volunteers together with country Victorians travelling to Melbourne for health appointments,” Mr Weller said.

“As part of the initiative, travellers can call and book a volunteer to meet them at Southern Cross Station or Flinders Street Station and accompany them to and from their medical appointment in the Melbourne CBD using public transport.

“The service is free and may be used by senior Victorians, the seriously ill or people with a disability.”

Mr Weller said he received regular inquiries from constituents across the Rodney electorate who required assistance to access medical appointments in Melbourne.

He said they included people who were suffering from serious illness, the elderly, frail, disabled and people with limited family support.

“This is a wonderful program for regional people who would like to be able to travel to central Melbourne independently using public transport, but feel anxious or nervous about using these services alone.

“Passengers have the choice of using taxis, trams or buses whilst in Melbourne, and the volunteer companions are experienced in using all three modes of transport.”

Mr Weller said people using the service were only required to cover their own public transport travel ticket costs.

He encouraged residents across the region to utilise the program which was being trialled until December 2011.

People interested in accessing the volunteer-assisted service when travelling to Melbourne should telephone Travellers Aid on 1300 700 399 at least 24 hours prior to their expected travel date.

For further information please contact Mr Weller’s electorate office on 5482 2039.

Nationals Member for Rodney Paul Weller has taken up the fight to win an improved bus service between Heathcote and Bendigo.

 

Mr Weller has written a strong letter to Victorian Transport Minister Martin Pakula, asking him to intervene and over-turn a decision which denied funding for the Saturday and Tuesday bus service which proved so successful during a recent trial period.

 

Mr Weller has told the minister that both young people and those in the older age bracket in and around Heathcote were suffering “transport-related social exclusion” as a result of the decision not to proceed with the service.

 

He said the decision by the Department of Transport not to provide funding ignores compelling information obtained as a result of an exhaustive community survey and consultation program initiated by the City of Greater Bendigo through its B-Line Transport connections project.

 

“The surveys and consultation showed that existing services between Heathcote and Bendigo do not meet community needs, with 57 per cent of the residents surveyed saying they found transport “difficult”.

 

“The consultation clearly showed that the lack of a suitable bus service to the major centre was resulting in significant socio-economic disadvantage for both older residents and young people in particular.

 

“For the older people, a Tuesday service with the right spread of hours provides scope for eduction, social activities and health appointments, while for the younger generation, a Saturday service means greater opportunities for employment, recreation and educational services,” Mr Weller said.

 

He said that over 600 people had utilised the service during the recent eight week trial period, with 47.5 per cent of the Saturday patronage being under the age of 25 and 87.5 of the Tuesday patronage aged 51 and over.

 

“It was therefore very disappointing when the Department of Transport ruled that the application for funding for an ongoing service, although of high quality, was rejected.”

 

Mr Weller said this was done on the basis that the “catchment area was not considered to have limited or no access to public or private transport”.

 

“This overlooks the evidence collated by B-Line which shows younger and older residents in particular find transport difficult and the short term trial period supports this view.

 

“I was very pleased to see the City of Greater Bendigo has not given up and is continuing to press the case, and I am more than happy to add my support.

 

“I have now written to the minister asking that he intervene and hopefully reverse this decision.  There is no doubt that there is a very real need in Heathcote for the extended service on an ongoing basis as local people are being socially excluded in a number of ways because of this gap in the transport arrangements,” he said.

 

Nationals Member for Rodney, Paul Weller, said that the 2010 Victorian Seniors Festival in October was a great opportunity for seniors throughout the Rodney Electorate to enjoy a range of activities and performances in their local area and in Melbourne.

 

Mr Weller said that a drawcard for many senior Victorians to attend festival events was the offer of free public transport on regional town bus services, metropolitan transport and V/Line travel during the 2010 Seniors Festival from 3 to 10 October.

 

As part of the festival there are eight days of free regional town bus services including Echuca, Rochester, Shepparton and Bendigo. Seniors do not need a ticket for these free services and only need to show their Victorian Seniors Card.

 

Travel on long-distance V/line rail services and some coach services must be booked before travel.

 

Free travel on V/Line rail and coach services is available on 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10 October.

 

Mr Weller said that reservations for the Seniors Festival free economy class travel open on Tuesday 7 September at 10am.

 

“I would recommend any one wanting to benefit from the free travel on V/Line services to start phoning early as it is my understanding that there are limited seats available.

 

“It is regrettable that this system of reserving a V/Line seat to enjoy some of the Melbourne events as part of Seniors Festival has caused upset amongst some seniors in my electorate.

 

“I would encourage the State Government to look at this issue and consider a fairer system for future festivals.”

 

Tickets for free travel as part of the Victorian Seniors Festival can be booked at the nearest staffed V/Line station, V/Line ticket agent or by calling 136 196. Bookings can be made for one return journey for up to four Victorian Seniors Card holders and tickets must be collected no later than 48 hours after booking.

 

Large parties of 12 or more must call V/Line to ensure seats will be available. Call 9619 2338 after 10am on Tuesday 7 September to book.

 

Information is now available on the Seniors Festival and free public transport for seniors who have access to the internet at http://www.seniorscard.vic.gov.au/web19/osv/dvcosv.nsf

 

Echuca-Moama’s reputation as a premier tourist destination is being put at risk by the dangerous and embarrassing state of the railway station car park, Nationals Member for Rodney, Paul Weller, has told State Parliament.

 

Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, Mr Weller again listed local concerns about the car park and challenged Transport Minister Martin Pakula to honor previous government promises.

 

In a Member’s Statement to the Legislative Assembly, Mr Weller said that he had first raised the issue with the then transport minister Lyn Kosky back in 2008 following ongoing complaints from people using the rail service.

 

“It (the car park) is unlit, unsealed and riddled with deep pot holes and ditches which, during winter months particularly, present real safety concerns for many passengers, particularly the elderly.

 

“My office has received complaints of cars actually being bogged in the car park and having to be towed or dug out,” he said.

 

Mr Weller said that he had been informed last year by VLine that the government had agreed to provide funding for the total redevelopment of the car park and that the work would be completed by the middle of the year.

 

“But here we are in June 2010 and not one single thing has happened.

 

“We are in the middle of another winter and at the train station, people are again being put at risk in a dark, muddy, slippery and very dangerous car park.

 

“And the reputation of Echuca as a jewel in the state’s regional tourism destination continues to be marred by a bog hole on its very door stop.”

 

Mr Weller called on the current Minister for Transport, Martin Pakula, to honor previous undertakings and instigate some definite action.

 

“Or will it too join the ever-lengthening list of broken promises?” he asked.

 

Mr Weller, who again inspected the car park last week, said that it was “an embarrassment” to Echuca.

 

“First impressions are often lasting ones, and the many hundreds of visitors who come to our city by train certainly would not be impressed by what they see when they step outside the station building.

 

“It has been two years now of government procrastination. Surely the government can organise the sealing of a car park?.

The Nationals Member for Rodney Paul Weller has attacked the Brumby Government’s transport credentials during a debate in State Parliament over Labor’s $38 billion Victorian transport plan.

In Parliament last week, the government chose to dedicate discussion on a matter of public importance to its transport plan which it claimed had provided the state with the best transport network in Australia.

During his speech on the matter, Mr Weller rejected the government’s claims and criticised Labor’s record on the delivery of transport projects since 1999.

He said the government was in denial over the many problems facing the travelling public of Victoria.

“The Premier has forged a reputation for failing to deliver on transport systems across country Victoria,” Mr Weller said.

“In the Rodney electorate the government is trying to force a Murray River bridge crossing at Echuca-Moama despite considerable opposition to its location.

“The Brumby Government has pressured the Campaspe Shire Council into supporting the mid-west bridge corridor by insinuating that they would not get a second river crossing unless they accepted that route.”

Mr Weller said the mid-west bridge alignment was not in the best interests of the Echuca-Moama community.

“The negative aspects of the mid-west bridge corridor include a substantial increase in vehicle noise, the loss of aesthetic appeal in the tourism and residential areas of Echuca, the loss of public recreational and educational facilities within the former secondary college, tennis club and Victoria Park precinct and the potential for increased traffic levels in the port of Echuca precinct.

“The problems associated with the corridor could quite easily be resolved through some alignment modifications and further negotiations, but the government is refusing to work with the community to address those concerns.”

Mr Weller said the government was acting unreasonably in bullying the community into accepting a less than optimal route for a second river crossing.

“The community is not happy about the alignment and nor is it happy about being railroaded on an issue of such critical importance to the region,” he said.

“The government needs to start listening to communities when it comes to transport issues such as the Echuca-Moama bridge rather than carrying on with this unwarranted self-congratulatory praise which Victorians are growing very tired of.”

An 18-month campaign to secure a new V/Line ticket agent in Kyabram has finally come to an end.

The Kyabram Tourist Information Centre based at Kyabram Fauna Park has been appointed the new V/Line agency.

The Nationals Member for Rodney Paul Weller said the news would provide welcome relief for Kyabram residents who had not been able to book V/line tickets in town since May 31, 2008 when the service from Travelscene at Boomerang Travel ended.

Mr Weller said he had been working with V/Line and the Transport Ticketing Authority for 18 months to source a new business to take on the agency.

“It has been a long and arduous process but I am delighted that this important service has finally returned to Kyabram,” he said.

“The Kyabram Tourist Information Centre is to be commended for offering to provide this service to the community.”

Mr Weller said the absence of a ticket agency in Kyabram had caused great frustration to many people.

He said while residents had still been able to buy tickets from bus drivers, they had not been able to redeem concessions and seniors vouchers, and had not been sure whether they had a seat until the bus arrived in town.

“The return of this service means people will no longer be forced to travel to Shepparton or Echuca to book a guaranteed seat and to use their concession or seniors cards.

“I have received advice from V/Line today that the contracts have been signed and approved and that the Kyabram Tourist Information Centre can now begin selling tickets.

“It has been a long, hard fought campaign to bring this service back to Kyabram so I encourage residents to utilise it wherever possible.”