I suppose that if the Govt sits on its hands, developers will provide it instead:
https://www.realestate.com.au/news/merrifield-developer-creates-its-own-public-transport-system/

"MELBOURNE’S booming new housing estates are swelling so fast they’re leaving public transport and infrastructure behind.
So one of the city’s developers has taken matters into its own hands and made its own public transport system.
From January 30, a bus service will link the Merrifield development in Mickleham with local schools, shops and Craigieburn train station.
Believed to be a first for the state, the development by MAB and Gibson Property Corporation has scheduled its own transit until the state-run services can catch up.
Merrifield project director Matt Planner said the idea, which had taken a few years to come to fruition, would connect with Metro timetables at Craigieburn train station and had been cleared to use existing bus stops where possible."

Saw this today in the local Melbourne rag and was interested in how this would be viewed as the initiative can be viewed in many ways one of which could be the PTV has failed to stay ahead of the planning process and is not delivering service to the new up and coming areas?

The Department (DEDJTR) had to complete the Regional Network Development Plan in 2016 after PTV never came through. An auditor general's report in 2014 (ish?) found that PTV did not seem willing or capable enough to finish the RNDP or the "On Road Transport" plan. Basically they did the (pretty great) Metro Rail Plan and gave up.

The point of all this is that the RNDP alluded briefly to "new transport solutions" with the implication that the contractor model wasn't covering all PT needs. So one wonders if this project might have been given some quiet encouragement (perhaps by DEDJTR) in the knowledge that PTV would perhaps never stumble its way into a new bus service.

All speculation but food for thought.

Just looked up this community bus, heres some details:

• In order to use the bus you need an access card, which can be purchesed for 20$ at the Merrifield corner store or the Merrifield sales centre, in order to be eligible for use of the card, you need to prove you live in or have purchesed some land in the estate. The card expires at the end of every year.
• The bus appears to start at the corner of St georges bvd and Balmain rd, it then goes via Balmain rd, Errol bvd, Donnybrook road, Mickleham road, Craigieburn road and then Hotlyn drive to Craigieburn station.
• There are stops at the cnr of St georges Bvd and Balmain rd, at the kool kids place on errol bvd (not sure where exactly), Mickleham primary school, Craigieburn central and then onto Craigieburn station.
• The bus only runs 6 times a day, three times in the morning (7-9) and another 3 in the evening (4-6), the bus runs 6 times in both directions.
• The bus is supposed to connect with trains at Craigieburn, the time between the connections vary (from 14 mins to 5 mins).
• The entire trip is expected to take 25 minutes.

I guess this is an example that shows that public transport is seen to increase the value of the communities it serves.  Commercially, the developer must think that it makes financial sense to them to provide such a transport solution.  Perhaps some people wouldnt want to live there if there was no PT option available to them.

IMO, this should be allowed to happen and perhaps encouraged - the users of the service are paying for it.

I guess this is an example that shows that public transport is seen to increase the value of the communities it serves.  Commercially, the developer must think that it makes financial sense to them to provide such a transport solution.  Perhaps some people wouldnt want to live there if there was no PT option available to them.

IMO, this should be allowed to happen and perhaps encouraged - the users of the service are paying for it.

There won't be developer provided transport after sufficient people have bought houses/land it will then it will be left to the government when the developer moves to 'greener pastures' in his Merc.

This whole concept of developers being allowed to do and get away with almost anything not only causes lack of public transport but also:

• Flash flooding
• Clogged streets
• Electricity problems
• Shortage of capacity on suburban trains
• Parking problems
• Lack of parkland

Broadly speaking all infrastructure in suburban Melbourne is working beyond the red line. Developers are permitted to cover the normal suburban house block fence to fence with, say, 6 units housing perhaps 18 people and 6 cars rather than 1 house and 3 people. No one improves the area drainage, water supply, electricity supply all of which are simply connected to the existing 1950s infrastructure and we wonder why it is grossly overloaded. The recent electricity blackouts in Melbourne are but one example of this.

We pay enormous amounts to electrickery companies for 'poles and wires' and what do we get:

• No real maintenance
• No capital improvements
• Rotten poles at crazy angles propped up with steel piling hammered into the ground if we are lucky

Our payments are turned into bonuses for those who can avoid to the greatest degree that for which the payments are intended or simply company profits.

Just looked up this community bus, heres some details:

• In order to use the bus you need an access card, which can be purchesed for 20$ at the Merrifield corner store or the Merrifield sales centre, in order to be eligible for use of the card, you need to prove you live in or have purchesed some land in the estate. The card expires at the end of every year.
• The bus appears to start at the corner of St georges bvd and Balmain rd, it then goes via Balmain rd, Errol bvd, Donnybrook road, Mickleham road, Craigieburn road and then Hotlyn drive to Craigieburn station.
• There are stops at the cnr of St georges Bvd and Balmain rd, at the kool kids place on errol bvd (not sure where exactly), Mickleham primary school, Craigieburn central and then onto Craigieburn station.
• The bus only runs 6 times a day, three times in the morning (7-9) and another 3 in the evening (4-6), the bus runs 6 times in both directions.
• The bus is supposed to connect with trains at Craigieburn, the time between the connections vary (from 14 mins to 5 mins).
• The entire trip is expected to take 25 minutes.

It sounds like it is worth exactly $20 per year for the two people who will go out of their way to use it, if they even can use it given the ridiculously early finish.

"It sounds like it is worth exactly $20 per year for the two people who will go out of their way to use it, if they even can use it given the ridiculously early finish."

Exactly. If you're delayed for whatever reason on your way home you're supposed to walk from the station? Brilliant.

"It sounds like it is worth exactly $20 per year for the two people who will go out of their way to use it, if they even can use it given the ridiculously early finish."

Exactly. If you're delayed for whatever reason on your way home you're supposed to walk from the station? Brilliant.

I guess they expect to yourself to get a taxi, i Guess, because, lets face it, no one wants to walk 12 km to get to their home.