ELECTRIC cars, buses and trucking will be a focus for a Border transport forum.
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The event will be held at the green-friendly Sustainable Activity Centre at Wodonga’s Gateway Village on May 17.
It is the idea of the centre’s manager Claire Greenhalgh and former Wodonga council candidate Lubosh Hanuska.
“The world is changing, transport is changing, technology is improving and we need to keep up the pace and do it in a way that makes Albury-Wodonga a better and more sustainable environment,” Mrs Greenhalgh said.
“It’s a topic everyone has been speaking about for many years and it’s just idling in the background and we wanted to get a bit of formality about it and get some active solutions.”
Mrs Greenhalgh will be on a three-member panel with Dysons buses North East manager Brett Drinnan and trucking company consultant David Coleman, a former Finemores transport manager.
She will speak about private transport and the scope for electric cars, Mr Drinnan will tackle public transport and Mr Coleman will address freight.
Mr Hanuska said workshops centred on those topics would be held following the panel talk.
“Each of those groups should come up with some strategy, what they’re going to do as the next step,” Mr Hanuska said.
An electric car is expected to be on display for inspection with Mrs Greenhalgh disappointed at a lack of interest in Wodonga’s Tesla car recharging site.
“I’ve seen electric car bays at Wodonga council and no one knows where they are,” she said.
“They’re only a pit stop between Melbourne and Sydney, where are the car manufacturers here that should be running after that infrastructure.”
Albury and Wodonga councillors, along with MPs from both sides of the Border, will be invited to the forum.
Mr Hanuska and Mrs Greenhalgh believe their forum is filling a hole that should be taken by councils and there needs to be more transport co-operation.
The forum will run from 3pm to 5pm at the Lincoln Causeway centre, in the former Gateway tourist information bureau, on Wednesday May 17.
The general public, as well as industry figures, are welcome to attend.
Other forums on specific areas of transport are expected to follow.
