Golden Plains Shire Mayor Cr Owen Sharkey welcomed the strong level of community participation from Golden Plains Shire (GPS) residents in the recent Bus Network Review covering Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula and Bannockburn, led by the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP).
Residents were invited to share their experiences with local bus services throughout March and April, with Bannockburn identified as the only township in GPS included in the review. Of the 3,787 survey responses received, GPS residents accounted for 10%, demonstrating significant local interest in improving public transport.
This interest was particularly strong in Inverleigh and Teesdale, with 31.7% of all GPS survey respondents—123 people in total—coming from these two communities and calling for better public transport connections.
The review provided an important opportunity to advocate for stronger and more reliable connections between Bannockburn, Inverleigh and Teesdale and central Geelong. Currently, only four weekday services operate between Bannockburn and Geelong — including one service that takes 3 hours and 35 minutes via Ballarat.
Council’s proposal calls for a more practical and frequent timetable, including hourly peak period services from 7am, two hourly off-peak services, and a substantially expanded weekend timetable to support the needs of a rapidly growing community.
Mayor Sharkey said that while the high level of community engagement was encouraging, it was disappointing to see no additional transport funding for Golden Plains Shire in this year’s draft State Budget.
It’s fantastic to see so many Golden Plains Shire residents stepping up and sharing their experiences with the bus network. When 10% of all survey responses come from the smaller population of what this review focuses on, it sends a very clear message about the need for better public transport connections.
Our community has been loud and clear — we need more frequent, reliable services between Bannockburn, Inverleigh and Teesdale and Geelong. Four weekday services from Bannockburn, including one that takes more than three and a half hours via Ballarat, simply doesn’t meet the needs of a growing region.
While I’m proud of our community’s strong participation, it is disappointing that this year’s draft State Budget includes no new transport funding for Golden Plains Shire. We will continue advocating for the services our residents deserve.
For further information on Council’s 2026 State Election Priority projects, visit goldenplains.vic.gov.au.
For further information on this media release, contact Council’s Communications & Engagement team at [email protected] or call 5220 7111.