Bundaberg is growing, but access to our community is not equal. It’s time to bring Bundaberg’s public transport into the 21st century.

For many residents, getting to work, education, healthcare, sport, shops, appointments or community activities depends on one thing: having access to a car.

If you can drive and have access to a reliable vehicle, getting around our region may be something you rarely have to think about. But if you are a young person, an older resident, a person with disability, unable to drive, or simply cannot afford the ongoing costs of owning a vehicle, where you live can significantly limit what you can access.

That is an issue of equity.

Equity does not mean every community needs exactly the same service. It means every person should have a fair opportunity to access essential services, education, employment and community life.

Right now, that opportunity is not equal across the Bundaberg region.

Residents in outer, coastal and semi-rural communities such as Sharon, South Kolan, Branyan, Bargara, Burnett Heads, Innes Park, Elliott Heads and Moore Park Beach can face limited public transport options, with some areas having little practical access to regular services.

Your postcode should not determine your opportunities
A teenager living in an outer community should have the same opportunity to take an after-school job, participate in sport, attend community activities or access further education as a teenager living near an established bus route.

An older person who can no longer drive should not lose their independence because there is no practical way to reach the shops, attend an appointment, visit others or participate in their community.

A person with disability should not have their choices and opportunities restricted because suitable transport is unavailable where they live.

A worker should not have to turn down an evening or weekend shift because they can get to work but have no reliable way of getting home.

A student should not face additional barriers to education simply because they or their family cannot provide private transport.

Access to opportunity should not depend on access to a car.

Public transport is about more than getting from A to B
Reliable public transport connects people to education, employment, healthcare, independence, relationships and community life.

Being able to access your community helps people feel included, connected and valued. It provides opportunities to participate in sport, employment, education, volunteering, social activities and community events and to be an active member of society.

When transport is unavailable, people are not only disconnected from places. They can become disconnected from opportunities, relationships and their wider community.

Those who feel this most are often the people who have the fewest alternatives.

Young people remain dependent on parents and carers. Older residents can become increasingly isolated. People with disability may face additional barriers to independence and participation. Families are left filling transport gaps, while people on lower incomes may have to choose between expensive private transport and simply missing out.

Everyone deserves the opportunity to participate, contribute and feel that they belong in the community where they live.

Public transport is therefore not simply a matter of convenience.

It is a matter of equity, inclusion, independence and belonging.

We need a network designed for the whole Bundaberg region
We are calling on the Queensland Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Translink and Bundaberg Regional Council to work together with our community to review and improve public transport across the Bundaberg region.

We are asking for:

Expanded connections between Bundaberg and outer, coastal and semi-rural communities, including practical feeder, commuter or demand-responsive services where appropriate.
Later evening services so workers, students and young people have safe and reliable options beyond the early evening.
Regular weekend services so access to employment, sport, shopping, social activities and community life does not disappear on Saturdays and Sundays.
More frequent and better-connected services on high-demand routes to reduce long waits and missed connections.
Meaningful community consultation, particularly with people who currently experience transport disadvantage, to identify where the greatest gaps exist.
A long-term regional public transport plan that responds to the growth and changing needs of Bundaberg's suburban, coastal and surrounding communities.
Our community does not stop where the bus route ends.

A connected Bundaberg is a fairer Bundaberg
We are not asking for every community to have an identical service.

We are asking for every resident to have a fair opportunity to participate in our region.

To work.
To learn.
To access healthcare.
To maintain independence.
To build relationships.
To participate.
To contribute.
To belong.

Where someone lives, whether they can drive, or whether they can afford a car should not determine the opportunities available to them.

Bundaberg deserves a public transport system built around equity, accessibility and connection — one that recognises that every person and every community matters.

If you believe everyone across the Bundaberg region deserves a fair opportunity to access and participate in the community we share, please sign this petition and share it with your family, friends and community.

Let's connect Bundaberg and make sure no community is left behind.