Estimates - Transport - Bus Stop Upgrades

CHAIR - I want to ask a question around the bus stop upgrades. In the 2021-22 Budget, there was $10 million over four years allocated to the all-weather all-access bus stop upgrade project which is described on the Transport website. Can you give us an update on that project, please?

Mr VINCENT - I'll just ask the deputy secretary for the details on that and where that is through that project, because it is several stages into that project.

Ms HEYDON - Through you, minister: yes, that was $10 million that was provided over four years. We have had a couple of rounds for that funding. A total of 15 councils applied for grant funding in round 1; 11 in round 2, and four in round 3. I can give you a breakdown of the different allocations, but funding allocated in each round included: • $325,000 in round 1 for the upgrade of 94 bus stops, which were completed at the end of 2024; • $4407 allocated in round 2 for the upgrade of 68 bus stops, which were completed at the end of last year; • Currently there is $4606 allocated in round 3 for the upgrade of 75 bus stops that are expected to be completed through mid this year towards the end of this year. There has been a low uptake by councils in these rounds. We've then looked at the funding that's been available and committed to upgrading high-priority bus stops along the state road corridor and $3.7 million has been allocated to 44 high-priority bus stops to ensure that we're meeting DDA compliance. And that's for delivery across 2025 and 2026.

CHAIR - Yes but DDA compliance is falling well short, is it not, minister?

Mr VINCENT - Correct. They do measure the compliance level on that, and I haven't got the numbers in front of me, but we are increasing that number with these next - did you say 76?

Ms HEYDON - Yes. So, we've got 44 that we've committed for the upgrades. We're also undertaking scoping and auditing of a further 138 bus stops to understand the DDA compliance in that space. And we've got, I think as of April this year, 162 bus stops have been upgraded both through council and on our roads through that program.