Tuesday, 30 May 2023

Metropolitan bus network

David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (18:26): (254) My matter is for the attention of the minister for transport in the lower house, and it concerns his media release of 10 May this year, which lays out new Melbourne bus contracts, which he says will benefit passengers. He announced the process of recontesting 30 per cent of the metropolitan bus network, and he said that this is about greening fleets, he said it is about new buses and he said it is about zero emissions. We support all of those aims; however, there does appear to be a focus in this on excluding or squeezing out many of the established family businesses. Some have been operating bus lines for 50, 60 or 80 years in time, and those family bus lines have been very effective in delivering good services for the community and are prepared to work with the government to ensure that they continue to deliver those services.

We saw the government up to its tricks in 2017–18 when it sought to squeeze out the private operators. They made a series of threats that they would take over not only their buses and their intellectual property but their depots as well. It seems the same old fears are being reignited, because the government appears to be focused not on delivering for the local community or for the long-established bus networks but on squeezing out the established businesses that have worked well and built up services, often before public funding was involved. I am very concerned that the matter of compulsory acquisition of bus depots has been put into the mix. I am very concerned that the government appear to be heading towards a predetermined or preordained outcome where they squeeze out the established bus companies and actually insert a small number of big international or multinational companies. That would concern me greatly.

Yes, I understand the replacement of diesels; yes, I understand the zero emissions focus; and yes, I understand the need for network and other efficiencies. All of the bus companies and the bus association, as I understand it, are very prepared to work with the government to deliver better value for money for Victorians, rather than having big operators come in. We have seen how that did not work in the recent period. We have seen one large operator had to go because it was not up to scratch, unlike many of the small operators.

What I am seeking from the minister for transport is that he step back from this and actually work with the local bus companies to get the outcomes that he desires – to get the energy efficiency, to get the zero emissions, to get the better bus routes and to get the better value. That can be achieved without a totalitarian or left-wing approach that squeezes out established family businesses.

The PRESIDENT: Can I confirm, Mr Davis, that was for the Minister for Public Transport?

David DAVIS: Yes.