Shepparton has been left off the list in the state government’s latest round of bus network reviews, prompting calls for renewed attention to the city’s bus services.
While the Allan Labor Government’s 2025–26 budget committed funding to improve public transport in regional Victoria, focusing on Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and the Bellarine Peninsula, Shepparton didn’t make the cut.
“The Allan Labor Government has again failed Shepparton residents by funding bus network reviews in Labor-held seats while once more overlooking the needs of Shepparton,” Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell said.
The last time Shepparton’s bus routes were formally reviewed was back in 2009. Since then, the town and surrounding region have grown significantly, both in population and infrastructure. Yet public transport hasn’t kept up.
Many newer housing estates still have no bus services at all, and workers have limited transit options to the local industrial precinct.
Connections between Shepparton and nearby towns like Mooroopna and Tatura are limited during the week and virtually unavailable on weekends, from Saturday afternoons through to Sunday.
Local MP Wendy Lovell raised the issue in Parliament, questioning why Shepparton was overlooked once again. She called on the Allan Labor Government to explain when a proper review of the area’s bus network will finally happen.
“I have repeatedly called for a bus network review and it's time Labor stopped ignoring the needs of Greater Shepparton residents who deserve the same investment and services as other regional cities,” Ms Lovell said.