Bus trial connects White Cliffs to Broken Hill

7 December

Residents in the outback town of White Cliffs will be better connected to the nearest major city of Broken Hill under a trial bus service rolling out in the State’s Far West.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole said the NSW Government was contributing $40,000 as part of the Transport Access Regional Partnership (TARP) program for a 12-month trial bus to transport customers the 255 kilometres between the two towns.

“With no regular transport options, residents have had to drive themselves or car pool with friends and family to get to Broken Hill when they need to shop or see a doctor,” Mr Toole said.

“White Cliffs is an incredibly unique outback town, and as it becomes more of a tourist attraction with people keen to see the underground houses and opal mines, we’re hopeful the service will also be used to bring workers and tourists into the community.”

Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Premier Sam Farraway said the service would be a game changer for those living in the incredibly unique community of White Cliffs.

“White Cliffs has a population of only 100 people and about a third of those are aged 65 and over, so it can be challenging for them to drive long distances to Broken Hill and back,” Mr Farraway said.

“This service will give them certainty and reliability if they need to access essential services in Broken Hill.”

The first service will run on Thursday, 9 December, with another planned before Christmas on Thursday, 23 December.

The bus can transport up to 21 customers at a time and interested residents need to call White Cliff Bus Tour to book a place.

The service is planned to run once a fortnight on Thursdays, with the flexibility to amend the schedule to suit community needs. The bus will depart White Cliffs at 7am for travel to Broken Hill and spend up to four hours there, before making the return journey. More information about the TARP program, including grant eligibility.