Hume City Council joins campaign for better transport

Hume City Council is asking the State and Federal governments to improve the region’s transport system as part of a coordinated campaign with six other local councils.

The Northern Councils Alliance (NCA), comprising of Banyule, Darebin, Hume, Merri-bek, Mitchell Shire, Nillumbik and Whittlesea, is calling for improvements under the banner – Connect Melbourne’s North: It’s time to transform our transport.

Members of the alliance want improvements to address what it states is severe traffic congestion, long trips to the nearest hospital, challenges in accessing jobs and education, and increasing social isolation impacting the lives of thousands of residents.

Hume City mayor Naim Kurt says: “Public transport provision is not meeting our community’s needs.

“We urgently need a bus network that will replicate the planned suburban rail Loop route, so that residents, particularly those in the outer areas, can access the services they need.

“For example, we need to make sure that access to education is possible for all our residents and especially our young people who rely on public transport.”

Kicking off the campaign is a call for federal and state governments to duplicate and extend the Upfield rail line which serves southern Hume.

Hume City Council states that Melbourne’s north is home to one million people or 20% of the population of Greater Melbourne. And that it’s one of the fastest growing regions, with a population of 1.5 million forecast by 2036 – a growth rate of 2.8% compared to 1.6% for Greater Melbourne. One in six Victorians lives in the northern Melbourne region.

“This population growth has not been matched with the necessary investment in transport,” states the council.

The NCA has commissioned research on the region’s transport needs saying better transport options will stimulate economic growth across Melbourne’s north and improve quality of life for residents.