Rural
8 June, 2026
Wheels turn as push for better bus services gathers traction
Goulburn residents are continuing their push for improved bus services with better connectivity to key destinations.
Goulburn residents are continuing their push for improved bus services with better connectivity to key destinations.
Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman has again raised the issue in NSW Parliament, calling on the Minister for Roads and the Minister for Regional Transport Jenny Aitchison to make it a priority in the next State Budget.
Mrs Tuckerman used a Private Members Statement last week to ask that Parliament note community concern regarding inadequate bus services in Goulburn and that it acknowledge a community petition calling for “improved, reliable and accessible public transport”.
She wants better connections to the hospital, the Goulburn Health Hub, TAFE, employment areas and growing neighbourhoods and has called on the NSW Government to fund and implement “reliable weekday and weekend services with extended hours, direct accessible routes to key destinations and simple, predictable timetables”.
Practice manager and owner of the Goulburn Health Hub and Medical Centre, Sophie Ashton said the current lack of connectivity was creating a “significant barrier to essential medical care”.
“Despite the growth of our facility as a multidisciplinary medical centre, the local transport infrastructure has failed to adapt,” she said in a letter supporting the ‘Better Buses for Goulburn’ campaign.
Mrs Ashton said the nearest active bus stop to the Health Hub’s entrance was approximately 300 metres away, creating a “prohibitive barrier” for the elderly, patients with a chronic illness and patients with mobility issues.
She said many patients had to rely on taxis and rideshare services, forcing some of them to choose “between the cost of transport and the cost of their health care”.
Mrs Ashton said current services were infrequent, “often forcing patients to wait long periods or miss appointments entirely if they cannot secure private transport”.
She said the Health Hub’s application for a PBS pharmacy had recently been declined due, in part, to the lack of reliable public transport access to the site.
“As Goulburn’s population approaches 40,000, it is no longer sustainable for major health hubs to remain isolated from the public transport network,” Mrs Ashton said.
Chief executive of the Southern NSW Local Health District, Margaret Abbott, has also thrown her support behind the campaign.
“Reliable, seven day per week bus services play a critical role in enabling access to healthcare and community services and participation in everyday life, particularly for those who rely most on public transport,” Mrs Abbott said.
“Given the ongoing growth of the Goulburn region and the importance of maintaining access to key community facilities, the Health District supports initiatives aimed at improving public transport connectivity, including proposals that may enhance access.”
General manager of PBC Goulburn Stacey Scott said there had been little change in the scheduling of bus services over the past 20 years – despite a significant increase in Goulburn’s population.
PBC Goulburn is contracted to Transport for NSW to deliver regional and rural services but is not authorised to add or modify bus routes or schedules independently.
All decisions regarding service levels, timetabling, route planning and funding rest solely with Transport for NSW.
“With the population growth forecast to go beyond 40,000, services need to be reviewed to accommodate the expanding community,” Mrs Scott said.
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