Victoria's Bus Plan notwithstanding, recent state government budgets have been quite parsimonious for new, extended or reformed services. However some funding has come from the Growth Areas Infrastructure Contribution, a levy on developments to fund infrastructure and services in the first few years of a new estate. While fixed term and highly conditional it's better than nothing.
There are GAIC funding rounds each year. I wrote about last April's announcement here. That didn't have much detail. Today, thanks to maps available, we can learn more about what's in store.
154 Tarneit - Laverton
Route 154 will be a welcome replacement for the unreliable and maxed-out Tarneit North FlexiRide. Equally important is that it will provide the first direct connection between Tarneit and the Laverton North industrial area.
The benefits of this cannot be overstated; current travel to this major employment area from Tarneit station involves a bus to Williams Landing, a train two stations to Laverton and the infrequent and indirect Route 417 to Laverton North. The new route won't serve all jobs but it should still help a lot of people with a more direct connection to employers including the K-mart distribution centre on the currently unserved Leakes Rd.
GAIC routes are typically overlaid over the rest of the bus network. This is partly because funding is both conditional and fixed term. However opportunities for network reform should still not be ignored.
A rerouting of Route 400 to Williams Landing would connect a lot more buses (including several from Tarneit) than its current terminus at Laverton. However this reform would require another route to retain coverage of Dohertys Rd, making a network review, potentially involving a two-way Route 417 extended to either Williams Landing or Tarneit, desirable.
194 Werribee - Wyndham Vale
The houses of Mambourin are visible looking west from the Geelong train but it's a long walk to the nearest bus (Route 192) east of the line. That won't be a problem anymore when the new Route 194 starts. Harpley Estate will also gain with an alternative to the mostly 40-minutely Route 192. It's mostly mapped below though the Werribee end is unclear.
524 Donnybrook Station Loop via Olivine and Peppercorn Hill
This one is actually starting in less than a month. Thus the map and timetable are already online. It provides much needed coverage to northern suburbs growth areas (tend to be more haphazardly planned and sprawly than those in Wyndham). Due to incomplete roads and a desire to do a lot with one route the 524 map looks messy with unidirectional loops. However this is likely still more efficient than a FlexiRide would be, especially given the low train and bus frequencies at Donnybrook this route connects to.
The timetable is mostly your standard Melbourne outer suburbs offering. That is service every 40 minutes with peak service a bit better at every 30 minutes. Similar to some recent upgrades the Sunday timetable is the same as Saturdays, including an earlier than average start (before 7am). However this is at the cost of evening service with the last departures before 7pm, thus not meeting the 9pm minimum service standard for local Melbourne bus routes.
543 extension to Craigieburn Central
Getting from Greenvale to Craigieburn Central Shopping Centre currently requires getting a bus to Roxburgh Park, then a train and then a bus. This will be replaced by a one-bus trip when the 543 extension commences service. Not only that but residential areas will gain stops on local streets back from the walking-hostile Mickleham Rd. Local MPs including Iwan Walters and Evan Mulholland have previously advocated for this extension which will make a lot of difference for a lot of people.
831 extension to Clyde
Route 798 is notable for its higher than average frequency (every 20 min 7 days) and longer than normal operating hours. It started as a short route from Cranbourne to Selandra Rise but will be substantially extended. Keep your eyes peeled - the start of this might not be very long away.
Route 831 is currently a very short route running from Berwick to Berwick Hospital. The extension will quadruple its length. Berwick is a significant destination so this route will improve north-south connectivity. Its terminus though appears to be a dead end; it seems amazing that although there have been a significant number of bus routes added there is not yet one that offers a continuous ride from Berwick to Cranbourne.
This GAIC funded extension addresses this while also adding coverage to Officer South. It is not yet known whether the extension will come with improved frequency; as it stands the 925 does not meet minimum service standards with gaps of up to 70 minutes between buses.
Pakenham has grown sufficiently that it needs a full bus review, rather than just tacked-on GAIC extensions. Its greatest need is likely a more direct and more frequent Route 926, done in conjunction with reform to more local routes.
Conclusion
This is a summary of pending GAIC-funded new or extended bus routes from last year. Implementation will make a significant difference for the tens of thousands of people in the areas that will gain.
Applications for the 2025 round are open until the end of this month. So don't be surprised if an announcement on these is made shortly after. Noting also that the other avenue for bus upgrades, the state budget, is planned for Tuesday May 20.
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