Queensland: Regional flights and long-distance coaches

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Regional flights and long-distance coaches locked in

23rd November 2021

Regional Queenslanders will soon benefit from improved air service frequencies between Charleville, Roma, and Brisbane and coach services with stronger route connections following the signing of new regional transport service contracts starting in December and January.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said a new package of five-year contracts would provide regional communities with long-term certainty around their local travel options, ensuring the future of seven long distance air routes and 20 coach routes.

Current service contracts are due to expire in December.

"We're very pleased to announce the continuation of these routes under new contracts which deliver accessible and efficient passenger transport that meet local community needs." Mr Bailey said.

"There will be more flights on the Charleville and Roma to Brisbane air route which will give locals and visitors more choice of travel times.

"From January, approximately 18 extra return services will be provided per week, achieved through the use of smaller aircraft which will still meet passenger need with seat availability.

"With some coach contracts changing hands, operators have been able to provide connections to other services, for example the Mt Isa to Townsville coach to be run by Greyhound will connect with a Camooweal and Tennant Creek service once a week.

"Locking in contracts for the next five years is an outcome that provides certainty to regional communities reliant on coach and air services for their connection to the rest of the state.

"Twenty long distance coach routes and seven air routes were up for tender with the state providing funding to deliver services that support economic development as well as connectivity across regional communities."

The Queensland Government will provide $5.1 million a year for these long-distance coaches and $11.7 million a year for the regional air services under the new contracts.

Mr Bailey said there were new transport operators for some of the services after a competitive and rigorous assessment of offers from 16 different transport providers. 

Contracts were negotiated through a competitive open market process, with independent legal oversight that ensured the process was robust and free from interference," he said.

"We are very pleased to be partnering with high-performing operators who demonstrate a commitment to regional communities and can provide high quality, value-for-money services to the people of Regional Queensland.

"Local input and insights were considered including customer feedback, existing service performance and operations, historical feedback from communities, examining service use patterns and patronage and other business matters that would ensure the contract would deliver on expectations.

"Service providers for some routes are yet to be confirmed, but we expect this to take place in the coming weeks."

Mr Bailey said in instances where services had a new operator, steps were in place to ensure a smooth transition for customers, particularly when booking online with new transport operators.

"We want customers and local communities to be able to easily book travel on long distance flights or coaches either with their new operator or ongoing provider."

For the duration of the contracts, the Department of Transport and Main Roads will continue to work closely with regional communities, council, industry and other government departments to identify and explore any further service opportunities and improvements.

For further information on services contact the service provider.

Summary of new long distance air and coach operators:


Air route  Contracted delivery partner

Brisbane-Roma-Charleville  Change to Regional Express

Brisbane-Blackall-Barcaldine-Longreach    To be announced

Townsville-Winton-Longreach    Retained by Regional Express

Townsville-Hughenden-Richmond-Julia Creek-Mt Isa  Retained by Regional Express

Brisbane-Toowoomba-St George-Cunnamulla-Thargomindah    Retained by Regional Express

Brisbane-Toowoomba-Charleville-Quilpie-Windorah-Birdsville-Bedourie-Boulia-Mount Isa  Retained by Regional Express

Cairns-Normanton-Mornington Island (Gununa)-Burketown-Doomadgee-Mount Isa  Retained by Regional Express



Coach route    Contracted delivery partner

Brisbane - Mt Isa    Change to Greyhound

Brisbane - Charleville  Change to Greyhound

Toowoomba - St George (via Moonie Highway)    Change to Murrays

Toowoomba - St George (via Gore Highway)  Change to Murrays

St George - Cunnamulla  Change to Murrays

St George - Lightning Ridge  Change to Murrays

Miles - Rockhampton    Change to Greyhound

Emerald - Rockhampton    Retained by Greyhound

Longreach - Rockhampton  Retained by Greyhound

Emerald - Mackay  Retained by Mackay Transit

Collinsville - Bowen  Retained by Trans North (Donric)

Charters Towers - Townsville  Change to Trans North (Donric)

Mt Isa - Townsville  Change to Greyhound

(Now incorporating connectivity to Camooweal and Tennant Creek – once per week)

Cairns - Karumba  Retained by Trans North (Donric)

Cairns - Cooktown (Inland)  Retained by Trans North (Donric)

Cairns - Cooktown (Coastal)    Retained by Trans North (Donric)

Mundubbera - Bundaberg    To be announced

Mundubbera - Maryborough  To be announced

Mundubbera - Bundaberg (via Eidsvold)  To be announced

Monto - Ceratodus (On Demand)  To be announced

The Monto to Mundubbera coach service was not renewed in the new contracts due to very low demand.

[ozbob]

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Mark Bailey

26th November 2021

Final operators now locked in

The final long-distance coach and regional flight operators have now been locked in, offering stringer community connections through new regional transport service contracts.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said QantasLink and North Burnett Regional Council had now come onboard.

"We're very pleased to announce the continuation of these routes under new contracts which deliver accessible and efficient passenger transport that meet local community needs." Mr Bailey said.

"QantasLink will continue to deliver air services between Brisbane, Blackall, Barcaldine and Longreach.

"North Burnett Regional Council will also continue to operate four long-distance coach routes between Mundubbera, Maryborough and Bundaberg, and an on demand service between Monto and Ceratodus.

"Locking in contracts for the next five years is an outcome that provides certainty to regional communities reliant on coach and air services for their connection to the rest of the state."

Mr Bailey said the announcement rounded out the seven long distance air and 20 coach routes on offer in regional Queensland.

"The Palaszczuk Government will provide $5.1 million a year for these long-distance coaches and $11.7 million a year for the regional air services under the new contracts," he said.

"We are committed to connecting communities across the state, and these contracts mean we can continue to do just that.

"We want customers and local communities to be able to easily book travel on long distance flights or coaches either with their new operator or ongoing provider."

ENDS

Air Route

Contracted Delivery Partner

Brisbane-Roma-Charleville                                                               
   
Change to Regional Express


Brisbane-Blackall-Barcaldine-Longreach                                           
   
Retained by QantasLink


Townsville-Winton-Longreach                                                           
   
Retained by Regional Express


Townsville-Hughenden-Richmond-Julia Creek-Mt Isa                     
   
Retained by Regional Express


Brisbane-Toowoomba-St George-Cunnamulla-Thargomindah

Retained by Regional Express


Brisbane-Toowoomba-Charleville-Quilpie-Windorah-Birdsville-Bedourie-Boulia-Mount Isa

Retained by Regional Express


Cairns-Normanton-Mornington Island (Gununa)-Burketown-Doomadgee-Mount Isa

Retained by Regional Express



Coach Route
   
Brisbane – Mt Isa
   
Change to Greybound


Brisbane - Charleville                                                                       
   
Change to Greyhound


Toowoomba - St George (via Moonie Highway)
   
Change to Murrays


Toowoomba - St George (via Gore Highway)
   
Change to Murrays


St George - Cunnamulla                                                                   
   
Change to Murrays


St George - Lightning Ridge
   
Change to Murrays


Miles – Rockhampton
   
Change to Greyhound


Emerald – Rockhampton

Retained by Greyhound


Longreach - Rockhampton
   
Retained by Greyhound


Emerald - Mackay
   
Retained by Mackay Transit


Collinsville - Bowen
   
Retained by Trans North (Donric)


Charters Towers - Townsville
   
Change to Trans North (Donric)


Mt Isa – Townsville   

Change to Greyhound

(Now incorporating connectivity to Camooweal and Tennant Creek – once per week)


Cairns – Karumba
   
Retained by Trans North (Donric)


Cairns - Cooktown (Inland)
   
Retained by Trans North (Donric)


Cairns - Cooktown (Coastal)                                                             
   
Retained by Trans North (Donric)


Mundubbera – Bundaberg Council
   
Retained by North Burnett Regional


Mundubbera – Maryborough Council
   
Retained by North Burnett Regional


Mundubbera - Bundaberg (via Eidsvold) Council
   
Retained by North Burnett Regional


Monto - Ceratodus (On Demand) Council
   
Retained by North Burnett Regional


The Monto to Mundubbera coach service was not renewed in the new contracts due to very low demand.

[ozbob]

Queensland Parliament

https://documents.parliament.qld.gov.au/tableOffice/questionsAnswers/2021/1435-2021.pdf

Question on Notice
No. 1435
Asked on 16 November 2021

MR R KATTER ASKED MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT AND MAIN ROADS (HON M BAILEY)

QUESTION:

With reference to the decision not to re-award long-term, locally-owned bus company Douglas
Coaches with the contract to deliver long-distance services in the Charters Towers region on
behalf of Translink—

Will the Minister explain what benefits it expects will be delivered to the local community by the
decision to award this contract to a non-local operator?

ANSWER:

I thank the Member for Traeger for the question.

I am aware that Douglas Coaches has been operating this service through a subcontract, and
had submitted an offer in response to the tender. While there are probity and confidentiality
considerations preventing specific details being provided, the Department of Transport and Main
Roads (TMR) advises these contracts were awarded through a competitive, open-market process
that invited offers from all interested parties. These offers progressed through a rigorous
assessment across several criteria including, but not limited to, value for money, operations and
customer benefit. I can advise that Donric Group provided the best offer for the Charters Towers
to Townsville contract, and have subsequently been awarded the contract for the next five years.
Donric Group will be offering a high quality of service on this route, providing a new 12-metre
coach fully equipped with a wheelchair lift, free wi-fi, reclining leather seats with USB charging
points and freight capacity. There has been no impact to service times and frequencies, with
Donric Group operating to the existing timetables since they commenced operating the services
on 10 December 2021.

I recognise the contribution that Douglas Coaches has made to the community in delivering this
service under a subcontract to Toowoomba Transit, and can advise that TMR has offered to
provide feedback to Douglas Coaches regarding their bid.

[ozbob]

https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/95042

Chaperone fee free
27th April 2022

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Mark Bailey

Chaperones ride free on long-distance Greyhound coach services operating through regional Queensland.

The announcement follows Greyhound Australia successfully obtaining contracted long-distance coach routes across Western Queensland.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey was pleased to make the announcement.

"We know how important long-distance coaches are in getting people where they need to be, especially students attending boarding schools," Mr Bailey said.

"My department previously fully funded the ticket cost of a chaperone accompanying children between the ages of 12 to 14 years old, in line with Greyhound's ticketing policy.

"We will continue to fund 100 per cent of the costs of chaperone tickets for Government-contracted Greyhound services, which covers Brisbane, to Charleville, to Rocky and Townsville, and out west to Mount Isa.

"The chaperone initiative will also now include students attending Year 7 who are 11 years of age."

Mr Bailey said local governments and schools had been contacted directly to discuss the initiative.

"We want to make sure that all regional and remote families who have previously utilised the chaperone tickets can easily continue to do so," Mr Bailey said.

"With Greyhound coming onboard to operate more of the coach services, we are seeing stronger route connections between regional areas.

"I look forward to seeing the successful uptake of regional transport services over the next five years."

Greyhound Australia service routes

Brisbane - Mt Isa
Brisbane - Charleville
Miles – Rockhampton
Emerald - Rockhampton
Longreach – Rockhampton
Mt Isa – Townsville (Now incorporating connectivity to Camooweal and Tennant Creek – once per week)

For more information on the regional transport service contracts, visit www.tmr.qld.gov.au

ENDS

[ozbob]

https://documents.parliament.qld.gov.au/tableOffice/questionsAnswers/2022/302-2022.pdf

Queensland Parliament

Question on Notice
No. 302
Asked on 30 March 2022

MR L MILLAR ASKED MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT AND MAIN ROADS (HON M BAILEY)

QUESTION:

Will the Minister advise how the government will assist the families of boarding students in Grades
7, 8, 9 and 10 to provide travel between their homes in Western Queensland and boarding
schools in Toowoomba, given that Greyhound Australia, the sole Queensland Government
contractor, has a strict ban on unaccompanied travellers under the age of 15 years on all
Greyhound Australia routes?

ANSWER:

I thank the Member for Gregory for the question.

I can confirm that, in September 2018, Greyhound Australia introduced a new ticketing policy
regarding the travel of unaccompanied children between the ages of 12 and 14 years old on all
long-distance services Australia wide. The change in policy was made to address safety and
operational issues and required that all children up to 14 years old be accompanied by a parent,
guardian, or a chaperone.

When this was announced, the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) responded with
an initiative to assist all affected regional and remote families who utilised Queensland
Government-contracted Greyhound services by funding 100 per cent of the cost of chaperone
tickets.

In December 2021, Greyhound Australia was successful in retaining the existing services
between Longreach – Rockhampton and Emerald – Rockhampton and was successful in
obtaining the following additional contracted routes: Brisbane – Mount Isa; Brisbane – Charleville;
Miles – Rockhampton; and Mount Isa – Townsville (including Tennant Creek in the Northern
Territory).

I am pleased to report that, from February this year, in time for Term 1, TMR extended its policy
of funding chaperone tickets to these new routes and, together with Greyhound, has amended
the chaperone initiative to include students 11 years of age attending Year 7. TMR also wrote to
all impacted Queensland local government councils, as well as private and state boarding
schools, advising of its extended commitment to fund chaperone tickets and the updated details
of the chaperone initiative.