A bus stop, but no buses. Casey council plans to lobby the State Government to address the lack of public transport to Casey Hospital.By Rebecca Fraser
CITY OF Casey Council will call on the State Government to urgently address the non-existent public transport to Casey hospital.
The unanimous move at Tuesday’s meeting would greatly improve resident access to the multi-million dollar hospital and drew much praise from councillors.
Councillor Lorraine Wreford moved the motion, and said she had been “blown away” when she discovered that the facility had no direct public transport access for residents.
“When I went to Casey Hospital I saw the lovely new bus stop so I went in and asked when the next bus came and they said ‘well it doesn’t,” Cr Wreford said.
“That just blew me away.
“To have a regional hospital like this and then to have no public transport to the door of the hospital does not make sense. It needs to be fixed.”
The motion also moved that council officers initially write and then meet with representatives from the Department of Infrastructure outlining the urgent need for public transport services to Casey Hospital, and investigate potential new bus routes and timetables.
These steps would address public transport access from areas such as Cranbourne, Narre Warren South, Narre Warren, Berwick and Cardinia Shire.
Cr Wreford also moved that buses should connect with trains that stop at Berwick hospital, as at present it is an 800-metre walk.
Edrington Ward councillor Mick Morland dubbed the move the best notice of motion he had ever heard in his 15 years on council.
“This is a multi, multi million dollar facility and to not have buses is an absolute disgrace.
“It is probably an oversight, but imagine a woman is eight and a half months pregnant and her husband is at work and she can’t get to the hospital for a check-up.
“What if she cannot get a lift with someone else?
“As a council we should do everything in outrpower to push for this.
“If it saves one life it will be really worthwhile.”
Councillor Steve Beardon also praised the move and said it would bring many benefits to the people of Cranbourne.
“Many residents in Cranbourne only have one car or no car at all.
“So this is very well needed and I hope that local MPs act quickly,” he said.
River Gum Ward councillor Janet Halsall gave a personal account of her experience at Casey Hospital.
She spoke of how she visited a terminally ill friend there last year and how her friend’s mother would travel to Berwick each day from Essendon to see her sick daughter.
“I think it is appalling that she could get all the way from Essendon to Berwick but could not get the rest of the way to the hospital.
“I would go down and pick her up every day from the station and bring her back to the hospital.”
Council also moved that a copy of the correspondence be sent to all local MPs and that a report come back to Council as soon as possible on the outcome of the talks.
