Ballina Shire Aboriginal

Tweed Byron Ballina Community Transport (TBBCT) recognises that many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are transport disadvantaged, and that there is an urgent need to address issues of access to healthcare,  to decrease the wide gap in life expectancy between our Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations.

TBBCT prioritises the needs of Aboriginal clients who need assistance to get to medical appointments, and supports Aboriginal people to access social and cultural events where we are able.

We have a daily shopping access bus from Cabbage Tree Island to Ballina and return within school hours Monday to Friday and including school holidays.  Download the timetable here Bus – Cabbo Time Table.

Click here to find out more.

The Aboriginal Funeral Transport “Sorry Business” initiative provides assistance with transport for isolated and disadvantaged Aboriginal communities throughout New South Wales, including metropolitan Sydney, to attend funerals.  C

Aboriginal Funeral Transport “Sorry Business” Fact Sheet

Aboriginal Funeral Transport “Sorry Business” Information Sheet

Ballina Shire Air

Airport	Airline	Destinations	Phone
Ballina/Byron Gateway	Jetstar	Sydney, Melbourne	131 538
	Rex	Sydney, Melbourne	131 713
	Virgin	Sydney	136 789
Clarence Valley Regional Airport	Rex	Sydney	131 713
Coffs Harbour Airport	Qantas	Sydney	131 313
	Virgin	Sydney	136 789
Lismore Regional Airport	Rex	Sydney	131 713
Gold Coast Airport	Air Asia	various	1300 760 330
	Air New Zealand	Auckland, Christchurch	132 476
	Jetstar	various	131 538
	Qantas	various	131 313
	Tiger Airways	various	1300 174 266
	Virgin	various	136 789

Transfers

Airport	Service	Phone
Ballina/Byron Gateway	Xcede Byron Bay	6620 9200
	Tweed Coast Transfers and Tours	0409 710 779
	Byron Easy Bus	6685 7447
	Steve’s Tours	0414 660 031
	Blanch’s Bus Route 640	6686 2144
	Ballina Taxis	6686 9999
	Brisbane 2 Byron	1800 626 222
Coffs Harbour Airport	Coffs Harbour Taxis	6658 9999
Clarence Valley Regional Airport	Northland Coach & Travel	6643 1212
	Grafton Radio Cabs	6642 3622
Lismore Regional Airport	Lismore Taxis	6621 2618
	Northern Rivers Buslines Route 670/675	6626 1499
Gold Coast Airport	Gold Coast Cabs	07 5588 1234
	Xcede Byron Bay	6620 9200
	Byron EasyBus	6685 7447
	Steve’s Tours	0414 660 031
	Brisbane 2 Byron	1800 626 222
	Coolangatta to Byron Airporter	0400 247 287
	Surfside Buses	13 12 30
	Tweed Coast Transfers and Tours	0409 710 779
	Pavlos Tweed Valley Limos	6672 1444
	Kingscliff Coast Limos	0411 367 580

Ballina Shire Car Pooling

Northern Rivers Carpool is a free, online service for anyone who wants to save money, meet new people and reduce their carbon footprint while travelling to work or study.

Northern Rivers Carpool is easy to use. It takes two minutes to join the network and then Northern Rivers Carpool will search its database and match you with other people travelling in the same direction.

Join www.nrcarpool.org today and travel smart. Login with your email address and member password to access the Members Page and then click on the Order your Carpool car sticker button. Download the new app for iPhone via iTunes and Android via Google Play.

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Miler is a carpooling app. Commuting or travelling drivers can post rides from different locations and receive a $ contribution to cover the costs of their rides.

Alternatively, drivers can post rides for free as well. Passengers can find rides around their location to a specific destination or do more detailed searches to find matches between different locations.

Click here to find out more about Miler

Ballina Shire Community Transport

Name	Phone	Email	Notes
Tweed Byron and Ballina Community Transport	1300 875 895	admin@community-transport.org.au
Cabbage Tree Island – Ballina “Cabbo Tripper”	1300 875 895	admin@community-transport.org.au	Operates Monday – Friday

Community Transport Organisations are non-profit services funded by the Department of Aging, Disability and Home Care and other Government bodies. Community Transport Organisations provide a range of transport services for people who do not have their own transport or who have difficulty using regular public transport. Passengers are asked to make a small contribution.

What does community transport do, for whom?

They provide many services to the Indigenous community, elderly people, younger people with disabilities and carers who reside in  Ballina, Byron, Clarence, Lismore, Casino, Kyogle, Richmond Valley and Tweed. These include

• Aboriginal Transport Workers
• Culturally appropriate services
• Individual transport to medical appointments
• Transport to Respite Day Care Centres
• Door to door shopping access bus services
• Veterans transport
• Social outings
• Group transport
• Information on transport services
• Youth transport
• Health related transport.

How does community transport do it?

• They use their own buses which are modified to transport people using wheelchairs
• These buses have improved access and are safe and comfortable
• They also have project vehicles – mostly station wagons
• They have a network of volunteers who provide individual transport in their own vehicles or by chartering the services of local bus operators or contract hiring of taxis or hire cars.

Ballina Shire Cycling

Use the search function in map below to find cycle-ways in your area.

Ballina Shire Fare/Concessions

Type of pass or fare	Issued by	Fare Type	Notes
Blinded Soldiers Gold Pass	NSW Transport Authorities	Free	Guide also entitled to free travel.
Ex-members of Defence forces (TPI) Pass	Sydney Trains	Free	Free travel.
NSW Half Fare Entitlement Card	Dept of Community Services	Concession
NSW & Victorian War Widow/er Transport Concession Card	NSW and Victorian Transport Authorities	Concession
Pensioner Concession Card	Centrelink & Dept of Veterans Affairs	Concession
Seniors Card	Centrelink & Dept of Veterans Affairs	Concession
NSW Tertiary Student Concession Card	Tertiary Institutions	Concession	Eligible full time tertiary students are entitled to half fare concession using a NSW Tertiary Student Concession Card.
Vision Impaired Persons Pass	NSW Transport Authorities	Free
Vision Impaired Person with Guide Dog	No pass required	Free
World War I Veterans Free Pass	NSW Transport Authorities	Free

Regional Excursion Daily (RED ticket): Holders of Pensioner Concession, NSW Seniors or War Widow/er cards, can purchase a RED ticket from the bus driver for $2.50. The ticket is valid for all day travel within the region. You can get on and off the bus as much as you want and you can travel on different bus companies. Show your eligible concession card to the driver, they will give you a RED ticket which you can use for the rest of the day.

Click here for more information.

Half Fare Concessions: Full time tertiary students, jobseekers, apprentices and trainees are entitled to half fare travel on presentation of a relevant card. You can obtain an application from Centrelink, your training institution or workplace.
Click here for more information.

Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme (TTSS): People with a severe and permanent disability may be eligible for subsidised taxi travel. TTSS consists of vouchers that pay for ½ your taxi fare per journey. Up to a maximum of $60 a ride. So if the fare is $25 you would pay $12.50, and if it is $120 you would pay $60. Ask your doctor about the scheme or phone 1800 623 724.
Click here for more information and download a form

If you are travelling interstate you can order Interstate Taxi Dockets.  Order them in advance of your travel as they may take up to two weeks to arrive.
Click here to order.

School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS): Travel to and from school is subsidised for most students. Contact your school for an application form.
Click here for more information.

Assisted School Travel Program (ASTP): Subsidised school transport for students with an intellectual, physical or behavioural disorder, should their parents be unable to provide transport. Apply through your school or phone 1300 338 278.

Click here for more information

The Department of Veterans Affairs has a range of transport schemes for Veterans with disabilities living permanently in NSW. For more information and an application form contact a regional RSL Sub Branch office or call 1800 555 254.
Click here for more information.

Isolated Patients Travel & Accommodation Scheme (IPTAAS): A referral-only service for people who need to travel more than 100km to obtain inpatient or outpatient specialist medical treatment and/or specialist oral health surgical treatment that is unavailable locally. Claim forms are available from your medical practitioner or contact 6620 2168.
Click here for more information.

Companion Card If you have a significant, lifelong disability and require attendant care for the rest of your life, you may be eligible for a companion card. An attendant travelling with you will receive free travel on public transport in NSW. This card also provides free entry for the attendant to many venues throughout the state. For more information and an application form phone 1800 893 044.
Click here for more information.

Assistance Animal Permit If you have a disability and rely on the assistance of an animal that has been trained to alleviate the effects of your disability, you can apply for an Assistance Animal Permit. The animal must meet training standards so that it assists you to use public transport effectively, and to ensure it does not pose any risks or disruptions to other passengers or staff. Find out more or get an application from a NSW branch of Vision Australia or Guide Dogs Australia
Click here for more information.

Ballina Shire Ferry

Operating Times

5.30am to 12.30am daily. Closed for maintenance on the second Tuesday of each month between 9.00 am & 12 noon.

How do I purchase a Ferry Ticket and how much do they cost?

Weekly, one way and return tickets are purchased on the Ferry. Quarterly and Full Season Ferry Tickets and books of 25 are purchased from cashiers at Ballina Shire Council’s Customer Service Centre, 40 Cherry Street, Ballina. Vehicle Registration papers must be produced at time of purchase of season tickets.

Quarterly Tickets are valid from 1 July to 30 September; 1 October to 31 December; 1 January to 31 March; 1 April to 30 June.

For more information download the Schedule of Fees and Charges

Ballina Shire Late Night

Ballina Taxis	6686 9999	More Info
Ballina Lennox Head Hire Cars	0428 666 360	Website

Ballina Shire Rail

NSW RailLink	phone 132 232
	Bookings
	Network map
	Timetables

NSW RailLink has an extensive network of coaches which connect many Northern Rives towns and villages with trains at Grafton, Casino and Kyogle stations. Trains continue south to Sydney and North to Brisbane.
Bookings can be made online or over the phone.

TrainLink Services in Ballina Shire

From Ballina Shire passengers can board a TrainLink coach at Alstonville, Ballina, Lennox Head, Wardell and Wollongbar for rail connections to Sydney and Brisbane.

Ballina Shire Taxi

Ballina Taxi Provider	Phone	Taxi Ranks
Ballina Taxis	6686 9999	Tamar St (next to the bus stop) Moon St River St (outside Woolworths) IGA Ballina Alstonville (opposite Federal Hotel)

 

Taxis provide greater flexibility in meeting the needs of individual travellers and are often faster than other forms of public transport. There are three ways to catch a taxi:

• Hail a cab on the street.  Vacant taxis have an orange roof light illuminated. Hail the taxi where there is enough room at the kerb for the driver to stop safely to pick you up
• Wait at a taxi rank. There are taxi ranks located in the major towns at railway stations, shopping centres etc
• Phone a taxi.  You can phone for a taxi to pick you up by dialing 131 008 or the phone number of the company closest to you.  If you have any special needs, tell the network when you make the booking.  Phone bookings may attract a service charge.

NOTE: If you need change from $50 or more tell the driver when you start the journey.

Feedback If you would like to provide feedback, a compliment or a complaint about a taxi driver or trip, please call NSW Transport and Infrastructure’s Taxi Customer Feedback Management System on 1800 648 478 or submit it online.

What is a WAT?

Wheelchair accessible taxis are sometimes called WATs. A WAT can be a car, a van, or a minibus that has been altered to secure one or more wheelchairs in the back. WAT drivers receive more training than regular taxi drivers.  They learn how to help a passenger in a wheelchair get in and out of the taxi.  They also learn about different types of disability as well as the Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme (TTSS).

WATS in the Northern Rivers

Each city and town in this region has it’s own taxi company or co-op.  All but the smallest have at least one WAT, some have numerous.  As a small number of drivers in each company drive WATs and they choose to do so, they are usually very helpful and friendly, especially since they get to know their passengers.

How much will it cost?

How much you pay depends on how far you travel.  The taxi meter measures how far you go and how much it will cost.  The driver will turn the meter on when the taxi arrives and you have been told that it is waiting.  They will turn the meter off when you reach your destination, before helping you out.

What if I need assistance?

The driver will help you in and out of the taxi and make sure you are securely fastened.  You can ask if you would like help handling any luggage or to be pushed to your door.  This will not cost you extra.

TIPS for WAT users

• It is always better to call for a WAT than to try and hail one!
• WATs are often busy during school drop off and pick up times.  Try to avoid making bookings from 7.30 – 9.15am and 2.30-4pm
• Try and make your booking at least a few hours before you need to travel
• When you make your booking, make another one for the journey home if you know what time you will need it
• If you have Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme (TTSS) vouchers make sure they are handy.  You can use one voucher for each trip
• Most taxi companies have vehicles that can carry 2 wheelchairs at a time.  If you are travelling with a companion in a wheelchair,  ask the taxi company if you can travel together
• Your wheelchair must be secured in the taxi and you must wear a seat belt

Download a fact sheet on Wheelchair Accessible Taxis

Download the Accessible Travel Guide to the Northern Rivers

Ballina Shire Spare Bus Capacity

Finding affordable transport can often be difficult for not-for-profit groups. We have collated a list of organisations below with spare bus capacity, who are willing to rent their vehicles to not-for-profit organisations at cost or near cost price. Use the contact details below to find out more about the vehicle on offer. If you have a vehicle you would like to make available to other not-for-profit organisation click here.

Provider	Contact	Conditions
Yaxi Service	Ph: 6628 7400 | E: info@yaxi.com.au	50% of the passengers to be between the ages of 12 and 25 50% residents of Ballina Shire A minimum of 8 people for a local trip and 10 for bigger distances One weeks notice before you travel Drug and Alcohol free service

 

Ballina Shire Youth

Provider	Phone	Email
Yaxi Service	6628 7400	info@yaxi.com.au

YAXI stands for Youth Access X-press Incorporated.

It’s a youth transport service for the 12-25 year olds living in Ballina Shire.

Some of the places YAXI can take you to are:

• Dreamworld, Wet n Wild, Movieworld, Cinemas, Plays, Concerts, Skate Parks
• Picnics, Exhibitions, Pacific Fair, the Beach, the pool, shops and cafes
• We can pick up from Alstonville, Bagotville, Ballina, Brooklet, Cabbage Tree Island, Lennox Head, Meerschaum Vale, Pearces Creek, Teven, Wardell, Wollongbar and anywhere in between
• We can take you locally to town etc or to Byron Bay, Gold Coast or Brisbane