Community partnership provides free transport
Tahmoor Coal Mine has celebrated ten years of sand, surf and sponsorship with the Wollondilly Beach Bus Partnership.
This year nearly 500 residents, young and old, took advantage of the free bus service made possible during January by the financial support of the GFG Alliance SIMEC Mining coal operation at Tahmoor.
A partnership with the Wollondilly Shire Council and Picton Buslines, it was the busiest the bus hasbeen in recent memory.
We are proud to be able to support this sort of service and community spirit.
PETER VALE
“After the last few years of natural disasters, Covid and cooler weather, it was great to see the community enjoy the Beach Bus,” Wollondilly Shire Community Project Officer Emily Plews said.
“We were delighted to have been able to run the Beach Bus in 2023 and would not have been able to provide the much-loved service to the Wollondilly Community without the support from the SIMEC Mining Tahmoor mine.”
Dubbed by some as the Bush to Beach bus, it is a low-floor, easy access hop-on, hop off bus service that runs for four days during January over two routes covering Bargo to Wollongong North Beach and Warrangamba to Wollongong North Beach.
Peter Vale, Executive General Manager Coal Operations at Tahmoor, said SIMEC Mining was excited to have sponsored the bus service for the past decade and he was especially pleased to see so many local people using the service.
“At one stage they had to put on another bus the service was so popular,” Peter said.
“I hear stories of people being able to afford an extra ice cream or treat because of the free service while some people are even lucky enough to be dropped off right outside their front door.
“We are proud to be able to support this sort of service and community spirit.”
The free bus service has been a summer regular for Wollondilly Shire residents for a decade as they escape the summer heat for the cool beach every Tuesday during January.