I’M so pleased City of Coffs Harbour has negotiated a trial of free bus travel within our region, also extending into the Bellingen and Nambucca Local Government Areas.

I’m happy to confirm the trial will now include free bus travel on Fridays and on weekends.

The trial is set to start in mid-April and it will now run for three months.

Busways Coffs Harbour and Forest Coach Lines really need to be commended for being such good corporate citizens and providing their support to make this free trial happen.

They have heavily subsidised this, and it really does tick all the boxes for creating a community that is connected, sustainable and thriving.

A core component of being a good Council is to connect the community physically and socially.

It’s great to think this free bus trial may encourage some people sitting at home to become more active and involved in the community, and help combat loneliness.

Just recently bus frequencies have been greatly improved, as have the direct connection timetables.

This initiative is called the 16 Cities program, which has been driven by the State Government.

The Woolgoolga to Coffs Harbour route is one example of a route with increased frequency and direct service.

There are positive environmental impacts to using public transport too.

The trial will introduce people to the option of bus travel and potentially spark a habit of using public transport.

That can help build long-term sustainability.

The availability of free travel will have positive economic-spin-offs with people travelling around the region and spending with local businesses.

The trial will be promoted, measured and analysed, and it is hoped that it will have a lasting impact in pushing local bus travel to the forefront of people’s mind when considering ways to move around in our city and the beautiful surrounding areas.

So please, give it a go and jump on a bus.

In other news, it was an honour to be at the public opening event for the Solitary Islands Lighthouse Optic at the Jetty Foreshores last Friday night.

It was a memorable moment when, at last light, lighthouse engineer Jack Duvoisin gave the command to turn the Optic on.

The Optic is the largest item in the City of Coffs Harbour’s museum collection and it is now in a place where it can be seen and enjoyed by all.

The City is hoping to light the Optic in the future for special occasions so more people can see it in all its grandeur.

Lastly, I wanted to confirm that contrary to what you may have seen in misleading media reports, City of Coffs Harbour did not close down the National Cartoon Gallery.

This was a decision made by the National Cartoon Gallery alone.

By Cr Paul AMOS, Mayor, City of Coffs Harbour