Elsie Lange
Hume council will write to the state government requesting better bus routes from the municipality to universities.
At a meeting on Monday, September 26, Hume deputy mayor Sam Misho asked that council write to the Public Transport and Higher Education minister requesting new bus routes from Craigieburn, Coolaroo and Upfield to La Trobe and Victoria universities.
“The letter should recognise the difficulties Hume residents have in accessing universities due to the distances and poor public transport access to existing universities,” Cr Misho said.
“[It should also] seek information on what the state government is doing to improve bus services to existing universities.
“[As well as] seek information from the state government of future provision of university courses and campuses in suitable proximity to Hume residents.”
Councillor Jarrod Bell said he welcomed Cr Misho’s notice of motion, as he himself had attended La Trobe and getting there on public transport could take three hours.
“Any improvement to institutions of higher education for the communities down here in the south of our city, would be greatly appreciated,” Cr Bell said.
“I’m not proposing to amend [the] notice of motion today, but any advocacy we can do in helping Sunbury residents and Jacksons Creek Ward residents get to their institutions of higher education would also be appreciated.”
Cr Misho said when he attended Deakin University in Burwood two decades ago, he would have to travel from Meadow Heights, spending two and a half hours on public transport one way.
He said he would like to see a university open in the municipality, but until then, facilitating students to get to university in other suburbs easier would be a good first step.
“After all this time, there are people in my shoes who still do the same thing,” Cr Misho said.
“If anything, that’s extremely embarrassing.
“We talk about certain suburbs in Hume being some of the most disadvantaged suburbs in Victoria – if we are to change any of that we need to focus.”
