Community bus ‘not a priority’ for City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder who will monitor demand for service

The purchase of a community bus to service youth, seniors and people living with disabilities is “not a priority” for the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, as community consultation shows limited demand for such a service. Deputy mayor Kirsty Dellar raised a motion at July’s council meeting calling for the city’s chief executive to provide a report at the September council meeting on the demand for community transport for vulnerable people, as well as for use by community groups and sporting teams. At Monday night’s meeting, councillors were presented with information following consultation with seniors, external stakeholders and community and sporting groups. In the meeting’s agenda report, the city noted it had engaged with seniors, carers, and families when undertaking a review of the Age Friendly Strategy in January and February, which asked specific questions relating to transport requirements. From the 111 respondents, 13 people indicated they required a bus for purposes that the city could provide, such as transport to seniors activities and events. The report noted the city currently hired a bus as required to facilitate transport of seniors for its programs and activities. The report also indicated 75 per cent of respondents drive themselves or get a lift from family or friends, and 25 per cent had experienced issues getting to medical, social activities, exercise services, and grocery shopping. It noted that medical and grocery needs were both supported by senior service providers. At Monday’s meeting, Cr Dellar said given the low number of respondents, it was difficult to make an “informed decision.” “Whilst there’s not a lot of people needing this facility right now, we are very aware that we need to keep our finger on the pulse ... to make sure that our most vulnerable in the community are not slipping through our system,” she said. Cr Dellar said the demand for a community bus service would be monitored, with a further report to be provided before the mid-year budget review. The report noted there was limited need for a city run bus for young people as existing services are provided by other agencies. The document said feedback from the two main local NDIS service providers confirmed they had an adequate fleet to provide a transport service for people living with disabilities. It said based on the feedback from sporting associations, there was limited need for a city-run bus for community or sporting groups that would not duplicate existing services provided by other community groups or local businesses. The report said given the purchase and ongoing operational expenses of a bus, it was recommended that the city continues to wet-hire buses on an as-needed basis. Cr Nardia Turner thanked Cr Dellar for the motion which didn’t just “shut the bus door” on the concept. “These circumstances can change very quickly and I believe this is something that is an ongoing basis that needs to be perhaps reviewed and considered in our future budget,” she said.