Queensland residents draws to the attention of the House, the urgent need to upgrade bus services between Beenleigh Railway Station and Ormeau Railway Station, including services throughout the Jacobs Ridge area and Ormeau Hills area. Funding was included in the June 2022 Queensland State Budget, yet the services have not been upgraded. Also the needed additional bus routes for the fast-growing northern Gold Coast, which were also included in the June 2022 budget, are not yet delivered.

Both before and since other services were upgraded on the 13th of February 2023, both the 728 and 729 services have had bus services cancelled at short notice. As well, the new bus services (the 720 and the 724) are also reported to have had bus services cancelled. 

The funding was made available in the 2022 Queensland State Budget, for these services, and the people of the Northern Gold Coast have been patient enough. Now is the time for the State Government to act to provide these urgently needed service upgrades and ensure that services are not cancelled at short notice, causing residents who rely on these services to miss medical and other appointments or be late for work and school children left behind.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to do all in its power to ensure the Department of Transport and Main Roads implement the upgrade of the 728 and 729 bus services between Beenleigh Railway Station and Ormeau Railway Station and new services, are delivered, as a matter of urgency.