I am a regular visitor to Sanctuary Point from Sydney.  The regular and frequent train trip from Sydney to Kiama is a delight.  The scenery is often spectacular and the trains comfortable.  From Kiama it is necessary to change from electric to a less frequent deisel service. This train is sometimes crowded and lacks space for luggage.  This can be a problem in holiday periods.

However, it is from Bomaderry that I, and many others, notice a real lack of efficient public transport.  There are several problems:

1.  Often, departing  buses are not coordinated with arriving trains.  Sometimes buses do not leave until 40 or 50 minutes after a train arrives.

2.  Buses can take between an hour and an hour and a half to reach Sanctuary Point from Bomaderry.  It’s little wonder that very few people take this bus. It takes a long and winding road through South Nowra, Woollamia, Huskisson, Vincentia and Old Erowal Bay before finally arriving at Sanctuary Point. Other destinations also take a long time to reach. In a worst case scenario, it can take up to five hours by public transport from Central Station to Sanctuary Point. By car, this trip can usually take under three hours. 

3.  Buses are infrequent. Again, little wonder that the route is under-patronised.

4.  Because of the first three points, most train passengers are picked up from Bomaderry by friends and family by car. This obviously adds to the growing traffic congestion in the Shoalhaven area.

It seems that one way to address the problem of a growing population, growing traffic congestion and growing pollution is being ignored.

Would you please consider the following ideas:

1.  Extend the train line over the Shoalhaven River south to Batemans Bay, or further. The tracks could be laid on the old bridge after the new road bridge is built . Electrify the service and increase frequency.

2.  In the meantime, have regular, coordinated and  frequent bus services direct to townships south of Nowra from Bomaderry. These could be smaller buses that would only take around half an hour to reach most destinations. This would greatly reduce travel time and would surely increase patronage and reduce traffic congestion.

The longer efficient public transport is ignored, the longer a way to address the problems of traffic congestion and pollution is postponed.

April 13 to April 22 is Youth Week, a week in which we celebrate the successes, goals and dreams of our young people.  Young people are our future; it is our job as a community to nurture them as they grow into functioning and valuable members of our society.

I love being there to celebrate the victories, but I – more than most – know that we can’t just be there for the good times.

There are many young people with great success stories but the young people who need you the most are the ones who are living a daily struggle. The young people who leave to go to school without food, the young people who don’t know where they will sleep tonight, the young people who just can’t make it in mainstream schooling.

We need to recognise these young people and uplift them so that they can make a real difference to their own lives and to the lives of others.

Some young people live with serious disadvantage, these are the kids I work with, and they need your support. 

If you can, please join us in celebrating youth week – not only will you be celebrating our young people, but you will be supporting some of Australia’s most vulnerable people.