Community Public Transport Survey
Day return bus services from Mallacoota to nearest NSW towns
2 minute survey
MADRA has been asked to advocate for improved public transport options between Mallacoota and the nearest NSW towns, including drop offs and pick ups along the way.
The State Government recognises that regional towns are not well enough serviced by public transport. Any new services would be in addition to existing options, such as the bus run by MDHSS on Fridays, to allow greater flexibility. As an example, the current V/Line service arrives in Merimbula at 4.55pm, with a return bus leaving at 7.30am, so using this service for allied health appointments or other needs during business hours requires overnight stays.
We would like to hear what you think. Your answers will help establish the level of support for future services, and whether this is worth pursuing. Also, if enough people would benefit from such services, your input will help us to convince government they are needed.
Electronic responses are preferred (to save retyping!)
To respond electronically, please go to
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VGDTDH3
Paper copies of the survey are available at Council’s Information Centre. Please deliver paper survey responses to the MADRA suggestion box located in the Information Centre
Please respond before 17 November 2026
We look forward to hearing from you!
Community Catchup held on Monday 26 October: What makes a community resilient?
At this Catchup we were very fortunate to hear from Professor Jacki Schirmer, whose research at the University of Canberra examines wellbeing and resilience across rural Australia. Her research confirms that community resilience is about much more than preparing for the next disaster: it is about creating the conditions that allow people and communities to live well, adapt to change and recover from adversity.
Her research on East Gippsland illustrates both the opportunities and the challenges. The region demonstrates considerable social strength, including high levels of volunteering and community participation. Yet, as we know, access to essential services, reliable infrastructure and affordable housing remains a concern.
We plan to continue working with Jacki to translate the insights she provided into tangible criteria that will help us to explore, prioritise and justify what we do next as a community. We hope that this work will help support efforts to advocate for funding and other support.
People who missed this presentation will be able to view it via the MADRA website shortly.
The MADRA Committee would like to thank Professor Schirmer for generously sharing her time and expertise, the Gippsland Community Foundation and East Gippsland Shire Council for their support of this event, the helpers that made it happen (Don, Mary, Larry, Brad and others), and importantly, the people who attended and contributed to discussions.
MADRA Annual General Meeting and Community Catchup
Thursday 26 November: 5:30 to 8pm, Community Club Rooms
Light supper provided
The MADRA Committee invites you to join us for the 2026 Annual General Meeting. AGM papers including the agenda, nomination forms and proxy voting forms will be distributed 2 weeks before the meeting. Thinking about joining the Committee? Please feel free to contact a current committee member if you would like more information on our current projects, or email us at madra.3892@gmail.com
The AGM will be followed by our third and final community catchup for 2026. We plan to hear from other nearby communities on what they are doing to build their resilience. We will also provide a wrap-up of what we’ve learned from our three resilience events this year and provide an opportunity to discuss some next steps.
We hope that you can join us!
Bookings essential:
Click here: https://events.humanitix.com/madra-agm-and-community-catchup