Residents in remote WA call for expansion of bus service
Residents of some of Australia’s most remote Indigenous communities are calling for the expansion of a bus service which helps them avoid anti-social behaviour in the outback city of Kalgoorlie in WA’s goldfields region. Despite the significant benefits it brings, the 900-kilometre one-way service to the community of Warburton has struggled to continue running because of funding constraints.
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00:00On a weekday morning, visitors from remote communities prepare for a long journey home.
00:11I love travelling through the land, the country. It touches my heart.
00:21The bus travels 900 kilometres on mostly unsealed roads.
00:26It operates in one direction only to Warburton,
00:29helping people from remote communities who need to visit Calgary for essential services.
00:35Earlier this year, flooding forced the cancellation of the service for weeks,
00:40leaving travellers stranded in town.
00:43Yes, somewhere emotional, just coming in each day asking, you know,
00:47is the bus going? Is the bus going?
00:49With the bus back in operation, vulnerable visitors have a safe passage home.
00:56It provides a great opportunity for them to get back to their communities,
01:00away from alcohol, away from antisocial behaviour.
01:04The bus provides more than just transport.
01:08It fills the gaps of the gaps.
01:10Some people won't go into a business place of work or agency,
01:15but they're quite happy to get some advocacy done on that bus.
01:26Aboriginal drivers and chaperones support the travellers,
01:30but it's limited to one destination.
01:33The safe passage home, there's an opportunity there to extend it to further communities,
01:39whether that's down south or towards the tri-border.
01:43More funding is needed, but there's hope.
01:46When there's a will, there's a way.