Mr Ruse is among many who require The Overland to get to vital medical appointments, relying on the service for his cancer-related treatments, which are only available to him in Melbourne.
He has a physical disability limiting his mobility, which makes it difficult for him to travel via bus.
He was diagnosed with throat cancer a little more than three years ago, and as a result he also struggles to speak.
His wife Melanie Ruse said having to send Graeme on a bus was anxiety provoking.
She said it was ‘unbearable’ for him because he struggled to walk up and down stairs.
She said The Overland allowed him to travel to Melbourne far more comfortably.
“Graeme has really complex medical conditions,” she said.
“Busses are out of the question – the only options we have in Nhill are either The Overland, V-Line or Firefly, and because Graeme has issues with mobility, trying to get up steps on a bus is very difficult and he’s unable to sit comfortably in the seats.”
Mrs Ruse said having a reliable service was extremely important for her family.
“I have two young children, one five and one eight. I also have a father-in-law who is elderly, who I look after as well.
“I can’t always take time off work to go with Graeme to his appointments, so the only way for him to get there is via public transport.”
She said the commute was already hard enough due to the service only running twice a week.
“At least he can get on The Overland, it’s usually a straight-through trip to Melbourne – although they’ve cut the amount of trips from three times a week down to two, so that’s harder for us,” she said.
“Because they are so far apart, it means we have to pay for more accommodation, or he has to come back via a bus service.”
Mrs Ruse said she wanted the State Government to consider people in the country. “It’s not just dollars and cents, it’s human lives,” she said.
“We left Melbourne for a better life – we didn’t think transport would be an issue.
“If this happened in the city, this wouldn’t be an issue, they’d find funding or find another way around it.
“How can we attract and keep people here when they’re not willing to give us the infrastructure and services to keep people here?”
In a letter Mrs Ruse sent to Hindmarsh Shire Council mayor Rob Gersch, she said losing The Overland would leave her family with no options.
“With this service looking at ceasing all together, what alternatives are you offering people like my husband – do you leave him stranded even further and feeling more isolated than ever?” she said.
“If the rail service was readily available from Horsham to Ballarat at least this would be a viable option, but as quickly as this appears to be offered, it is soon whipped away.”
Nhill resident Margaret Millington, who joins the group of demonstrators, said people in the Wimmera relied heavily on the service, which picked up passengers in Nhill, Dimboola, Horsham and Ararat.
“The elderly and disabled benefit most from this service, because busses are inappropriate for them,” she said.
“You can walk around, you can get something to eat, the toilets are user-friendly for all needs – my father is 96 and we put him on the train, because it’s safer for him than going on the bus.
“The Overland doesn’t make us feel so isolated, if we didn’t have the train it would isolate us more.”
Public Transport Minister Melissa Horne has not yet committed any funding beyond March for the service, and South Australian Premier Steven Marshall has refused to back The Overland.
Measures to combat the spread of coronavirus between states has now complicated the issue further.
West Wimmera Health Service executive officer Ritchie Dodds said state governments should reconsider retaining the service because it provided medical staff and patients a crucial link to the city.
“We would not like to see it close,” he said.
“Nhill is halfway between Melbourne and Adelaide, and having a service that runs between the major centres helps us to attract and retain staff from further afield, that we might not otherwise be able to attract.
“We also have staff that use The Overland service because it allows them to work while they’re traveling to and from Melbourne.
“The other aspect is, we have a number of staff who recently migrated from other countries, some might not have a driver’s licence to get to and from the cities, so the service is very useful for them.”
Mr Dodds said losing The Overland would create another barrier to services for people in the Wimmera.
“While the service is running, people have greater access to specialists in Horsham, Ballarat, Melbourne and Adelaide,” he said.
“If they’re older, it’s certainly a good option for them, without having to navigate driving through traffic.
“That would be another loss for country people, if all of sudden it is made harder for them to make it to the specialists.”
The entire March 25, 2020 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!
The entire March 25, 2020 edition of AgLife is available online. READ IT HERE!
