Submission No 18 ACCESS TO TRANSPORT FOR SENIORS AND DISADVANTAGED PEOPLE IN RURAL AND REGIONAL NSW Organisation: Northern NSW Local Health District Name: Ms Jillian Adams Position: Manager Date Received: 18 July 2016 Health Northern NSW 13 July 2016 NSW GOVERNMENT Local Health District Dora Oravecz Committee Manager NSW Parliament
[email protected] ~ Northern NSW Local Health District submission to the Access to Transport for Seniors and Disadvantaged People in Rural and Regional NSW inquiry Dear Ms Oravecz, Northern NSW Health Promotion team has prepared this submission in relation to the NSW Parliament's Access to Transport for Seniors and Disadvantaged People in Rural and Regional NSW inquiry. Northern NSW Health and Northern Rivers Social Development Council jointly prepared a Commuter Bus Plan 2016 (attached) to address transport disadvantage in the Northern Rivers. This plan was initially sent to Transport for NSW for consideration in May 2016 but not funded on the grounds that "TfNSW does not currently have funding to approve the trial". This submission seeks to have the committee consider the Commuter Bus Plan as a means for accessing employment and tertiary education for transport disadvantaged people. There is significant transport disadvantage in Northern NSW. On average, North Coast residents have a household income two thirds oftheir city counterparts. The Northern Rivers Regional Transport Plan 1 states that: "The Northern Rivers region has an above average level of social disadvantage compared to the NSW median." There is a high reliance on private car usage and travel distances are generally longer, with places of employment, education and services spread out across the region.