Shaping the Future of Public Transport in Circular Head
UPDATE from the General Manager
The Public Transport Survey has closed – we are now providing feedback on what you told us and what will happen next.
For a long time, getting around our area has been a challenge. We’re a large rural community, with long distances between towns. For many people, getting to work, school, medical appointments or even the shops means relying on someone else.
This has been raised again and again in reports and plans - including work by the Cradle Coast Authority, the Tasmanian Government and Council.
They all say the same thing - rural communities like ours face real transport challenges.
Council has been advocating for better public transport services for some time, but we didn’t have recent local data to clearly show how much this is still affecting our community. That’s why we ran the Public Transport Survey.
We didn’t set out to run a big, formal study. It won’t have reached everyone, and we know some people may not have seen it. What we wanted was a quick check-in with the community. A way to demonstrate that lack of public transport is still an issue and to gather local data to support our advocacy.
And the message we heard was clear. We received 134 responses, from people across the community and across different age groups. Most people told us they need public transport. But more importantly, many told us why they’re not using it - because suitable options simply aren’t available. That was the strongest message in the survey.
People spoke about needing to get to medical appointments, to the shops, to work or to study. These aren’t occasional trips. They are part of everyday life. And right now, for many people in Circular Head, getting to these places isn’t easy.
Many respondents said they would use public transport regularly, every week, or even every day. People talked about wanting something simple and reliable. A local bus. Better services to get to Burnie or Wynyard. Something they could plan around.
We also heard that even the services that do exist are under pressure. The taxi service is not always available and the Smithton Community Transport Services Tasmania (CTST), which supports older residents and people with mobility challenges, is doing important work but has its limits. Demand can exceed capacity, meaning new clients can’t always be taken on straight away, and the service depends on the availability of volunteer drivers and vehicles.
That tells us something important. Even targeted services are struggling to keep up - and for many people, there are no other options.
At the same time, we’re seeing more and more messaging from governments about using public transport to save money on fuel, take pressure off fuel supplies and reduce cost-of-living pressures. But for communities like ours, that creates a real gap. We’re being encouraged to use something that doesn’t exist here creating further inequity.
It’s important to be clear about Council’s role. Circular Head Council doesn’t run public transport services. But we do have a responsibility to advocate for our community and that’s exactly what this work is about. This survey helps us build a stronger case when we talk to State and Federal Government, and when we work with regional partners on possible solutions.
What happens next?
We’ll be sharing what we’ve learned with Councillors and using this information to support ongoing conversations and advocacy with Members of Parliament. We’ll also keep working with others to explore what transport could look like in Circular Head.
Our message for those who can make change
Circular Head is a large area, with long distances and a wide range of needs. What works somewhere else won’t automatically work here.
If new services are considered, they will need to be shaped around our community - how people travel, where they need to go, and what would work in practice.
That means taking the time to properly understand routes, gaps and demand. And it means working closely with the people who use these services. Because the people who live here are the ones who understand it best.
The survey has closed, but the conversation hasn’t.
If you have something to share about transport in Circular Head, whether that’s a change in service, a new issue, an idea, or something affecting you, we encourage you to keep using the Your Say form on Council’s website or write to council@circularhead.tas.gov.au. Hearing from you helps us keep our advocacy current and relevant.
When we asked for your feedback, we said it would help us build the case for better transport and that’s exactly what this has done. So thank you to everyone who participated in the survey.
Your input is helping us tell a clearer story about what’s needed in Circular Head and helping us keep pushing for change.
Paul Gardner
General Manager