A proposed community bus route through outlying towns within the Shire of Northam will go ahead despite a local retailer saying the move could kill businesses in smaller communities.
At a meeting of the Wundowie Progress Association, the 15 members said they did not feel as though they had been liaised with about the implementation of the bus program.
President of the Wundowie Progress Association Dave Galloway said there had been a lack of communication between the Shire, the Association and local businesses.
He said there were more important things money could be spent on in the local community.
Wundowie business owners Lisa and Des Biglin said they are concerned about the implications the bus will have.
The couple run the Wundowie IGA, liquor store and post office.
They said they could lose a significant number of customers to the bus service, meaning they are prepared to close the store on Tuesday and Thursday when the bus is due to run.
The Progress Association said no one is happy with idea of the bus service, and they want to have a say.
They said the best scenario would be to not have the bus run through any town at all.
Mr Galloway said he wanted to see the Shire of Northam chief executive officer come out and speak to Mr and Mrs Biglin about their concerns.
The community bus is planned to run from Wundowie, through Bakers Hill and Clackline to Northam, twice a week on a Tuesday and Thursday.
It is to leave Wundowie at 9am for its trip and wait for passengers until departing Northam at 2pm.
The Shire of Northam received a grant of $4,000 from the Department of Community to fund a six-month trial of the service.
The bus, equipped to carry 22 passengers is being stored in Wundowie.
The Shire of Northam community development officer Jamie Hawkins spoke about the service at an open meeting in Wundowie in March, where more than 40 seniors from the community were present.
Ms Hawkins said the bus would provide seniors and others in the community who are not covered by the current Share and Care bus service, an opportunity for a free ride into Northam for doctors appointments, hair dressers appointments and to do their banking.
She said the intention was to provide people with access to services they do not already have in their own towns.
The general feeling of those in attendance was enthusiasm and support for the bus.
After attending a meeting of the Wundowie Progress Association on Monday 16 June, where this issue of the bus was raised, Councilor Terry Little moved a motion in a council meeting on Wednesday 18 June to postpone the bus until the new year to give residents time to assess their desire for it.
The motion was lost two votes to eight.
Councilor Little said although the bus was not at the top of the community wish list it was achievable with the money available.
A letter from a law firm was presented to Council on behalf of Mr and Mrs Biglin, with the lawyer presenting his clients opposition to the bus.
Councilor Julie Williams said the view of the business owners was not the general consensus in the community.
“Their position is unfair to the people of Clackline and Bakers Hill who have no shops in their town,” she said.
Councilor Williams described the move as ‘blackmail’ by threatening to close their shop on the days the bus will run to Northam.
Councilor Rob Tinetti said the bus service is an opotunuity to give people access to more services.
“This is a chance to not be Northam-centric,” he said.
“We need to give people the opportunity to use it.
“Should we cancel TransPerth down to Mundaring as well if people are concerned about losing service to other areas?”
Councilor Chris Davidson, from Wundowie said the service needs to be utilised.
“It’s sad that it has come to this,” he said.
Councilor Michael Ryan suggested if some members of the Wundowie community were opposed to the bus, that they be removed from the route.
It was suggested during the meeting that if Wundowie does not want to bus, members of the Grass Valley and Spencers Brook community may like the service instead.
The idea for a community bus to Northam was suggested by members of the Wundowie public through the community wishing tree initiative, part of the ten-year Wundowie community plan.
As a part of the community plan, consultation was achieved through public workshops, one on one interviews, online surveys, mail-out surveys and the community wishing tree.
The Shire of Northam has said the bus has never been seen as a ‘shopping’ bus and never will be.
