A transport forum held in Byron Bay has revealed how a lack of public transport in the Northern Riversregion was letting young people down by limiting access to work opportunities and tertiary education.

The forum, held by the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) and Trains on Our Tracks (TOOT), was an opportunity for member of the Northern Rivers community to identify the key transport issues in the region and share their ideas for improving transport in the region.

RTBU NSW Secretary Alex Claassens said that the disadvantage many regional areas suffered from a lack of investment in transport services was clearly on display at the forum.

“There was one young woman who was forced to hitch-hike from Lismore because there was not public transport service to take her to Byron Bay.

“She said that the lack of public transport was making life impossible for young people like herself because there was simply no way they could travel to many workplaces in the area, to uni or to TAFE.

“Without access to convenient transport options, too many young people are at risk of missing out on employment and educational opportunities.

“In the end, these sorts of problems are what drive young people to leave regional areas and move to the city.”

President of TOOT Karin Kolbe said that the first step towards improving public transport in the area was opening the Casino to Murwillumbah line to regular, local, light rail services.

“Once we see services back on this line, you would then start looking to introduce bus services that branch out from the line and reach an even broader section of the community. But the train line is the key, it has to be the back bone of any effective public transport plan.”

The RTBU has since launched a petition calling for a rail service to be introduced on the Casino to Murwillumbah line.

Mr Claassens said the petition would be presented to candidates from all sides of politics and would demand each of them to make their position on the rail line clear in the lead up to the election.

“It is important that we know where all parties stand when it comes to the future of transport in NSW, and regional transport must be addressed as part of any plan.

“We encourage everyone who feels strongly about this issue to sign the petition and send a message to our politicians that regional communities will not put up with being forgotten any longer.”

The petition can be accessed online at: www.betterstate.org.au

Contact: Alex Claassens RTBU 0419 219 309 - Laura Maclean RTBU, 0423 377 567 – Karin Kolbe TOOT, 0411 594 599