MEMBERS of the Cohuna Community Bus Committee believe the town’s transportation needs are not being met.
The committee runs their 20-year-old, 16-seater wheelchair accessible bus three days a week, meeting the medical, commercial and social needs of locals without access to a car.
There are three other community transport services operating in Gannawarra Shire – the Warra Car, Quambatook Community Bus, and two vehicles managed by the Bus Stop Recycle Shop in Kerang,
Cohuna Community Bus Committee secretary Margot Henty said there is a need for better co-ordination between providers of community transport to support and fill the gaps in connecting people.
“While there are existing services and options for community transport, we’re not really aware of what each other’s commitments are, and we all operate in silos,” she said.
“What we would really like to encourage is some form of forum or alliance of all community transport providers.”
Ms Henty said community members often have to travel out of town to access certain essential services.
“The whole fabric of our community seems to be based on being able to drive,” she said.
“There is a significant unmet need for transport in our community to overcome social isolation of people of all ages who do not drive, also to maintain access to health services and banking.
“We don’t have a train station, the nearest one is in Kerang. We don’t have radiology here, so people have to go to Bendigo or Echuca for medical reasons and we only have half a bank.”
The withdrawal of Bendigo Bank from Cohuna last year further added to the issue, leaving NAB as the only bank in town which can only be accessed on weekdays before 12:30pm.
According to the 2021 Census, half of the population of Cohuna and Leitchville district is aged 50 years and over, with a quarter of the population more than 70 years old.
More than 400 residents were living alone at the time and more than 234 residents needed assistance due to age or disability.
A survey of community transport needs in Cohuna, Leitchville and district conducted between October 2023 and February 2024 by the Cohuna Community Bus Committee found there was a lack of appropriate public transport in the area, with no public transport in Cohuna connecting to the nearby train stations that align with train times.
“The ageing population cannot rely on public transportation with limited accessibility and frequency inadequate for the community’s needs,” Ms Henty said.
“If you’re unwell, going to Bendigo to see a doctor or a specialist on a bus is not always ideal.”
The Cohuna Community Bus was administered by Gannawarra Shire Council and Cohuna District Hospital until council stepped away in April 2023.
Ms Henty said five volunteers, including herself, have been managing the bus since.
“We need more volunteers because we are struggling to find enough people to drive our bus,” Ms Henty said.
“Two of our drivers are in their 70s and another two of them are probably in their 60s.
“And like other community transport buses in the shire, we also struggle with the cost of insurance which has escalated significantly for the vehicles and also for public liability.
“We don’t want to make a profit, but we need to be able to cover our expenses without making the use of our services too expensive.”
