Tablelands Community Transport Service Providers Group Community Transport Co-ordination Feasibility Study Liveable Cassowary Coast Transport Project Transport Audit and Recommendations STAGE ONE Date: December 2011 Version: v1.0 Conus Business Consultancy Services ww.conus.com.au Liveable Cassowary Coast Transport Project Transport Audit and Recommendations Table of Contents Details .....................................................................................................................................................5 Methodology...........................................................................................................................................5 Executive Summary.................................................................................................................................6 1 Background to the Project ..............................................................................................................9 1.1 The Liveable Cassowary Coast 2020 Whole of Community Plan............................................9 1.2 Funding ...................................................................................................................................9 1.3 Linkages to Other Plans...........................................................................................................9 1.3.1 Cassowary Coast Regional Council Economic Development Plan ................................10 1.3.2 Far North Queensland Regional Plan 2009 – 2031 .......................................................10 1.3.3 Cassowary Coast Regional Council Corporate Plan 2009 – 2019..................................10 1.3.4 Cassowary Coast Community Plan 2011- 2021.............................................................11 1.4 Aims of the Project................................................................................................................12 2 Transport Audit.............................................................................................................................13 2.1 Bus.........................................................................................................................................13 2.1.1 Scheduled Bus...............................................................................................................13 2.1.2 School Bus .....................................................................................................................15 2.1.3 Charter Bus....................................................................................................................17 2.2 Taxi........................................................................................................................................19 2.3 Hire Car .................................................................................................................................19 2.4 Marine...................................................................................................................................20 2.5 Rail.........................................................................................................................................21 2.6 Community Based.................................................................................................................22 2.7 Air..........................................................................................................................................22 3 Regional Demographics and Transport Implications....................................................................23 3.1 Ageing Population.................................................................................................................23 3.2 Remoteness...........................................................................................................................24 3.3 Indigenous Population ..........................................................................................................27 3.4 Vehicle Ownership and Use ..................................................................................................27 3.5 Economy................................................................................................................................27 3.6 Communication.....................................................................................................................29 3.7 Demographic Summary and Implications.............................................................................30 4. Transport Survey...........................................................................................................................31 Conus Business Consultancy Services ww.conus.com.au Liveable Cassowary Coast Transport Project Transport Audit and Recommendations 4.1 Survey Structure and Methodology......................................................................................31 4.2 Promoting and Publicising the Project and Survey...............................................................32 4.3 Survey Results (Target Population).......................................................................................34 4.3.1 Who completed the survey?.........................................................................................35 4.3.2 Getting Around – Region...............................................................................................37 4.3.3 Getting to Work ............................................................................................................45 4.3.4 Travel Problems – Region .............................................................................................45 4.3.5 Transport for school children........................................................................................49 4.3.6 Getting Around - Cairns to Townsville ..........................................................................50 4.3.7 Travel Problems – Cairns to Townsville ........................................................................51 4.3.8 Improving Transport Options........................................................................................52 4.3.9 Getting Transport Information .....................................................................................54 4.4 Survey Results (Frequent Travellers) ....................................................................................55 4.5 Survey Results (Tourists).......................................................................................................60 4.6 Survey Conclusions ...............................................................................................................62 5. Other Issues Raised.......................................................................................................................63 5.1 Mission Beach Community Bank® new applicant information.............................................64 6. Recommendations ........................................................................................................................65 6.1 Provision of Information .......................................................................................................65 6.1.1 Improve the availability of transport information online.............................................65 6.1.2 Central 1300 phone number for travel information.....................................................65 6.1.3 Centralisation of volunteer transport providers’ information......................................66 6.2 Behavioural Change ..............................................................................................................66 6.2.1 Campaign to get more people in Tully to consider walking/cycling.............................66 6.2.2 Education for elderly in use of the web for bill paying, banking etc. ...........................66 6.2.3 Encourage use of car sharing/lifts to get children to school ........................................66 6.2.4 Consider getting more people using the school bus network ......................................67 6.3 Provision of Transport...........................................................................................................67 6.3.1 Provision of transport to specific events in the Region ................................................67 6.3.2 Consider the feasibility of community buses financed by local tours ..........................67 6.3.3 Consideration of subsidised transport for backpackers from Tully to Mission Beach, sponsored by local businesses......................................................................................................67 6.3.4 Consideration be given to the provision of transport for an increasingly elderly population, particularly in Cardwell..............................................................................................68 Conus Business Consultancy Services ww.conus.com.au Liveable Cassowary Coast Transport Project Transport Audit and Recommendations 6.4 Policy Change........................................................................................................................68 6.4.1 Look at changing eligibility for HACC and medical transport........................................68 6.4.2 Streamline process of claiming PTSS payments............................................................68 6.4.3 Lobby Queensland Health for the provision of services in Innisfail and Ingham..........68 6.5 Infrastructure........................................................................................................................68