ACT Assembly Approves $147 Million Belconnen Bus Interchange Upgrade Plan

The ACT Legislative Assembly voted on 9 July 2026 to pass the Belconnen Bus Interchange Upgrades Bill, which sets aside funding for new dedicated bus lanes along Belconnen Way and additional shelters at the existing interchange. The changes directly apply to routes serving Gungahlin, Belconnen and the route to Civic.

The vote follows public submissions lodged during the March 2026 consultation period run by Transport Canberra, where residents raised repeated delays on the R2 and R3 rapid services. The bill does not alter light rail stage 2 plans but reallocates existing transport funds listed in the 2026-27 ACT Budget Papers.

Changes for daily travel in northern suburbs

Residents boarding at Gungahlin Town Centre will face revised timetables that add three extra morning peak services on weekdays, with the first departure moved forward to 6:12 am. Afternoon services from Belconnen to Civic will run every eight minutes between 4:30 pm and 6:30 pm instead of the current ten-minute spacing.

Commuters who transfer at the Belconnen interchange will use two new covered waiting areas equipped with real-time displays funded under the same allocation. Local advocates note that students at the University of Canberra campus and workers at the Belconnen Town Centre offices will be the largest groups affected by the frequency increase.

The Productivity Commission has found that each additional bus service in outer Canberra reduces average household transport costs by $28 per month when measured against private vehicle use, a figure referenced in the bill's explanatory statement.

Next steps for implementation

Construction on the new bus lanes is expected to begin in October 2026 and finish by December 2027, according to the project timeline tabled with the legislation. Transport Canberra will publish updated route maps and timetable booklets by November 2026 for distribution at Gungahlin and Belconnen libraries.