A study to inform the staging of transport and land use initiatives in Bundaberg will be released for community feedback later this year.
The study, jointly funded by TMR and Bundaberg Regional Council, contains a wide range of initiatives to support the vision for the community, including being connected by a single, inclusive and integrated transport network.
It is intended that the future transport network will embrace technology innovations to become accessible and responsive to a wide range of users and their transport needs, while continuing to support economic opportunities in the region.
It would also contribute to improved lifestyle and liveability in the region.
The draft Bundaberg Integrated Transport Strategy will be available for community members to review and provide feedback in late 2024.
The strategy will provide a roadmap of transport and land use initiatives over the short, medium and long term.
The joint study established transport and land use initiatives around seven key areas, namely:
- Bundaberg CBD revitalisation
- Active and public transport connectivity in and around the Bundaberg CBD and surburbs
- Efficient access to the new Bundaberg Hospital
- Suitable transport networks to support residential growth areas
- Providing a safe and resilient transport network that can adapt to a changing climate
- Improved access for freight and general traffic to the Port of Bundaberg and the associated State Development Area
- Protecting and managing the preferred freight transport network in the Bundaberg Region.
TMR will provide further details on how community members can provide their feedback on the strategy soon.
Transport and Main Roads Minister Bart Mellish said it was reassuring to see his department collaborating with local government to plan for the future, so that regional communities prosper.
“The strategy will set out the next steps for developing all transport modes across the state and local government transport network in the short medium and long term,” he said.
“The main challenges identified relate to network resilience, travel reliability, modal shift and freight access.
“The strategy will provide 46 recommended actions to respond to these challenges…”
Bundaberg Region Mayor Helen Blackburn said she was encouraging all community members to have their say in late 2024 as part of the important and innovative plan for our region’s transport network.
“By working together, TMR and Council have created a strategy that will, for the first time, provide a holistic and collaborative vision for local and state roads to guide and inform investment decisions that benefit the Bundaberg Region transport network and our community,” she said.
“The draft strategy document is being released and we will value all feedback provided in late 2024 to help us progress and finalise this important project.”
How about a bus service to Kepnock Town Centre & the ALDI. Even slightly midifing some existing services to loop around it would be fine.
Also think about feature position of Hotels. A hotel on Goodwood road would be great as there’s not 1 for that entrance of town.
There’s a dirt path on eggmolesse street that goes through to the ring road I guess that could be upgraded to a road. Also prompting more development around the hospital.
Will there be a safe crossing area at the junction of Ring Road and Telegraph road for children, pedestrians and bike riders to access both Kepnock school and East Bundaberg Primary School as well as St Lukes and Kalkie from the other direction??
I suggest we build the road that Paul Neville MP proposed to connect Bundaberg to HarveyBay reduce travel time by 45 minuets this would be a huge win for tourism. The potential to transform Toogoom & Buxton into large cities to reduce pressure on housing stock in the region could also be useful.
Provision of a permanent safe cycleway paralleling the Isis Highway is VERY urgently needed. There is an existing informal route, which utilises a combination of telegraph tracks, access roads and nature strips/drains from Forest View to Wyper Park and from a little north of the Ring Road into Bundaberg, but the nature strip between these points is not regularly or consistently mowed and there are stretches where there is no safe off-road access.
The Isis is too narrow, too fast and too dangerous to safely cycle or ride an e-scooter and there is no public transport apart fron school buses, forcing residents to use cars or motorcycles.
What about a light rail link fro airport to centre of town with an extension to Bargara after that. Use your brains on this one as most of the land to put it on is already there down the centre of some streets. Also so,etching to be done at the Port as this is a magnificent area to be devoted for tourism, a pub, more restaurants, think about what else. Port areas in overseas cities are fully developed for tours it’s so why not here.
The Bundaberg CBD is an absolute disgrace. Parking should be banned and maybe some of the many empty buildings could be developed into parking. A free light rail, hop on, hop off running through the middle of the CBD as I previously suggested would help move people.
Whatever happened to what was proposed for Quay Street some years ago, reducing speed to 40kilometers or closing it completely to traffic providing much needed tourist access to the beautiful Burnett River, which is greatly unappreciated by most whom live here. A floating restaurant maybe?
When is all the area next to the RSL going to be finished? It’s also an absolute disgrace at the moment. Also I understand the RSL will be closed by the end of this year, moving elsewhere. What is replacing it?
If we can’t have a rail trail, how about 30 or 40km of cycle, walking, running pathway beside the river. It would complement the Turtle Trail and bring visitors in to town. See Townsville beside the Ross River.
How about a subway Sugarland to Bargara in say 20 minuets? A station in between for hinkler central?