By Jolene Ogle
TransLink has announced more than 400 extra bus services to help transport patients and visitors to the new University Hospital, but calls for a direct bus from Noosa have gone unanswered.
Councillor Ingrid Jackson has been a vocal supporter of a Noosa service and said she is deeply disappointed by the outcome of the public consultation.
Noosa MP Glen Elmes has slammed TransLink’s new timetable as a slap in the face for passengers who live north of Maroochydore.
“In what should have been the region’s most significant and comprehensive review of public transport services, namely those that access public healthcare, the Minister for Transport has once again failed to perform,” he said.
“Despite many attempts to bring the needs of residents who live in my electorate to TransLink’s attention, including several appeals in writing and in person to both the Minister for Transport and the Minister for Health, my requests have fallen on deaf ears.”
TransLink has already begun to roll out the 401 bus services over three new routes in the lead up to the opening of the Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH) in April when services such as maternity will be transferred from Nambour Hospital to the Kawana site.
To cope with the influx of patients and visitors, TransLink has announced three new bus routes that will service the Maroochydore, Palmwoods and Nambour locales – route 611, route 637 and route 638.
Minister for Transport Stirling Hinchcliffe said the new bus services would connect staff, students and patients with the new hospital.
“New bus routes, additional services and later operating hours mean better public transport connections from key locations across the Sunshine Coast to the region’s soon-to-be opened University Hospital,” he said.
TransLink said the new routes and additional services were created following public consultation through surveys and public meetings, but calls from Noosa residents and politicians for a direct service from Noosa have been ignored.
A report by TransLink about the outcomes of the public consultation period acknowledged they had received feedback from the public that is was “important for Noosa residents to have a direct bus service to and from SCUH”.
The report said TransLink recognise the need for Noosa residents to access the hospital and have better connection times between route 620 and the new route 611.
“This will make connections for customers travelling from Noosa to SCUH as seamless as possible,” the report said.
Cr Jackson said the reduced waiting time from 20 minutes to 10 minutes was a “miniscule concession” and daytime out-patients and visitors would still face a three-and-a-half hour round trip.
“This is totally unsatisfactory for patients and carers who cannot drive, including the ill, the elderly and mothers about to give birth,” she said.
Mr Elmes said a survey on his website designed to gauge community support and demand for a direct service from Noosa to the hospital received overwhelming support.
“It is well known that public transport on the Sunshine Coast runs at a multi-million dollar loss.
“If commuters south of the Maroochy River can be afforded improvements then surely Noosa residents should have access to at least one direct return service in the morning and again in the afternoon.
“To isolate 50 per cent of the region from these state-of-the art medical facilities is verging on negligence,” he said.
“As I have said before, if TransLink cannot find the funds in their coffers then the responsibility is ultimately left to Queensland Health to provide access for patients and their visitors to the $1.8 billion masterpiece.”
Cr Jackson has said she will continue to seek solutions for more public transport access to the new hospital.
In the meantime, patients over 65 years old are eligible for discounted transport services by enquiring and registering with My Aged Care 1800 200 422.
