inquiry into the use of school buses in rural and regional

Inquiry into the Use of School Buses in Rural and Regional Victoria

Mrs Narelle Hunt

Organisation Name:Marist-Sion College Your position or role: Acting Principal

YOUR SUBMISSIONSubmission: On behalf of Marist-Sion College, our submission is made with the 3 attachments.

FILE ATTACHMENTSFile1: 60d3f2b6ba8a0-Bus Inquiry Submission.pdfFile2: 60d3f2b6bb796-Report - School Bus Centre Review - Drouin - Final - 2020.pdfFile3: 60d3f2b6bc179-Bus network concerns Peter Houlahan Email.pdf

Signature:Narelle Hunt

LC EIC Inquiry into the Use of School Buses in Rural and Regional Victoria Submission 123

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Bus Inquiry Submission

Marist-Sion College, Warragul

As a regional school we wish to raise our significant concerns from a Child Safety point of view in relation to allowing the

general public to share the school bus system/services. We are concerned that Child Safety would be seriously

compromised if buses were to open to the wider community. Some students are on the bus for a lengthy period of

time, the addition of paying customers would only increase this time.

The issue of non-government school students being classed as ineligible travellers is also a major issue for students

attending Catholic Schools. The eligibility of non-government school students has been consistently problematic and

this inconsistency needs to be addressed before allowing wider public access to the school bus system.

Mrs Narelle Hunt

Acting Principal

Marist-Sion College, Warragul


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School Bus Centre Review Report

Centre: Drouin 2020

Date: February 2021

Version: Final


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School Bus Centre Review 2

Contents

1 Current Services ___________________________________________________________ 5

1.1 Current Services 5

1.2 Current Loadings (as at November 2020) 6

1.3 Current Travel Times 7

2 Analysis of Current Services _________________________________________________ 8

2.1 Routes or service corridors with declining patronage 8

2.2 Routes with heavy or increased patronage 8

2.3 Patronage trends 8

2.4 Changes in local education delivery 9

2.5 Identification of local service arrangements (feeder services, shared eligibility zones, remote interchanges etc) 9

2.6 Identification of spurs or route sections operating contrary to the SBP Policy 9

2.7 Identification of students travelling contrary to the SBP Policy 9

2.8 Other transport services 10

2.9 Vehicle condition, age and quality 11

2.10 Coordinating school’s Emergency Management Plan 12

2.11 Safety issues (e.g., road & weather conditions, bus stops etc) 12

2.12 Community use of services (non-students) 12

2.13 Other issues identified during review 12

3 Proposed Network _________________________________________________________ 13

3.1 Service proposals 13

3.1.1 Remove or add services 13

3.1.2 Upgrade/Relocate vehicles 13

3.1.3 Alter/Amalgamate routes 13

3.1.4 Reallocate students to other services (SBP, STS or public transport) 14

3.1.5 Relocate services within the Centre 14

3.1.6 Other proposals 14

3.2 Proposed services 14

3.3 Proposed loadings 15

3.4 Proposed route travel times 17

3.5 Consultation 17

4 Draft Recommendations ____________________________________________________ 18

4.1 Contract termination/relocation 18

4.2 Additional services 18

4.3 Vehicle upgrade/relocation 18

4.4 Revised routes 18

4.5 Revised timetables 18

4.6 Other 18

4.7 Cost and saving 19

5 Draft Feedback ____________________________________________________________ 19

5.1 Correspondence received 19

5.2 Correspondence outcomes 21

6 Approved Outcomes _______________________________________________________ 21


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6.1 Contract termination/relocation 21

6.2 Additional services 21

6.3 Vehicle upgrade/relocation 22

6.4 Revised routes 22

6.5 Revised timetables 22

6.6 Other 22

7 Endorsements and Approvals _______________________________________________ 24


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Preamble

A bustling centre in western Gippsland’s Baw Baw Shire, Drouin – along with twin town Warragul – provides a gateway to Gippsland from greater Melbourne. 100kms south-east of Melbourne, Drouin has a population of 12,000.

In recent years, due to factors such as increasing suburban creep and the benefit of increased services on the Gippsland rail line, Drouin and Warragul have become home to a growing number of commuters and families who seek a regional lifestyle while maintaining city employment and connection.

Further to this, in late 2020 and as a suspected result of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, regional realtors are reporting a noted increase in regional property sales. Early interpretation suggests a desire of city-dwellers to leave behind high-density city living for the benefits of working from home in regional communities.

Drouin Secondary College (DSC) is the coordinating school for the Drouin school bus network (the network) and, in 2019, had a student population of 1056. In 2020, 536 DSC students are accessing the state-government’s school bus program. The network also services the following 9 client schools:

- Marist Sion Catholic College (Marist) - Warragul Regional College (WRC) - Chairo Christian School - St Pauls Anglican Grammar School - St Ita's Catholic Primary School - St Joseph's Catholic Primary School - Drouin Primary School - Drouin South Primary School - Blackwood Centre for Adolescent Development.

The network is delivered by two school bus operators – Tarenberg P/L (Simcocks) who operate 3 contracted services, and Warragul Bus Lines P/L (WBL) who operate 13 contracted services and 1 temporary service.

Summary of outcomes

☐ Recommend termination of a service

☐ Recommend an additional service

☐ Recommend close service monitoring given low numbers of eligible travellers

☒ Recommend close service monitoring given high numbers of eligible travellers

☒ Recommend service variations to facilitate load balancing

☐ Follow up review required

☐ None of the above


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1 Current Services

1.1 Current Services

Operator Contract Number

Service Name

Vehicle Contract Start Date Year Make Reg. Seats

Tarenberg P/L 1322-0002 Bunyip-Drouin 2012 Volvo B7R 0203 AO 57 07/09/1981

Tarenberg P/L 1322-0008 Tonimbuk-

Bunyip FDR-Drouin

2013 Volvo B7RSA 0202 AO 57 16/08/1965

W B L P/L 1374-0006 Mt Lyall-Drouin

2005 Bluebird Bluebird

5086 AO 57 06/02/1963

W B L P/L 1374-0007

Longwarry-Drouin

2017 Scania K310IB 2058-AO 57 04/02/1970

W B L P/L

1374-0015 Labertouche-

Drouin 2014

Scania K310IB Myki

Equipped

2016 AO 57 06/02/1963

W B L P/L 1374-0019 Iona-Drouin 2003 Volvo B7R 2011 AO 57 03/03/1952

W B L P/L 1374-0020

Drouin West-Drouin

2007 Mercedes Benz

OH1830L 2066 AO 57 03/02/1953

W B L P/L 1374-0022 Tynong-Drouin 2005 Hino RK260 2044 AO 57 07/09/1981

W B L P/L 1374-0025

Modella-Drouin

2014 Scania K310 2035 AO 57 23/05/1967

W B L P/L 1374-0034

Vervale-Drouin-

Warragul 2003 Hino RK250 2007-AO 57 07/09/1981

W B L P/L N/A – temporary

service

Garfield-Drouin-

Warragul

Not held

Not held Not held 57 N/A

It is also evident that the following 6 services that are historically attached to the Warragul school bus network, are currently coordinated by the Drouin school bus network:


Service Name Vehicle Contract

Start Date Year Make Reg. Seats

Tarenberg P/L 1322-0010 Bunyip-

Warragul-Blackwood

2010 Volvo B7R 0206 AO 57 7/09/1981

W B L P/L 1374-0003 Bunyip-Warragul 2016 Scania K310IB 2076 AO 57 3/03/1952

W B L P/L 1374-0009

Heath Hill-Warragul

2005 Mercedes Benz

500 2023-AO 57 3/03/1952

W B L P/L 1374-0010

Poowong Nth-Warragul

2015 Scania

K360EB 2026 AO 57 1/02/1966

W B L P/L 1374-0031

Poowong East-Drouin-Warragul

2009 Mercedes Benz

OH1830L 2001 AO 57 3/03/1952

W B L P/L 1374-0018

Tynong Nth-Warragul

2006 Mercedes Benz

OH1830L 2012 AO 57 4/02/1946


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Contract No. Service Name First Stop Last Stop Minutes 15.55 16.43 48 minutes

1374-0010 Poowong North-Warragul 7.32 8.26 54 minutes

15.45 16.43 58 minutes

1374-0031 Poowong East-Drouin-Warragul 8.01 8.30 29 minutes

15.55 16.32 37 minutes

2 Analysis of Current Services

2.1 Routes or service corridors with declining patronage

There are no routes with declining patronage. All services are operating at least at 55% occupancy, with an average service occupancy across the network of 88%.

2.2 Routes with heavy or increased patronage

Western Corridor

Consistent with population trends and projections in the metro fringe areas of Bunyip, Garfield and Longwarry, the west is the most heavily loaded corridor in the network.

This corridor is currently serviced by 10 contracted school buses. 2017 also saw the introduction of a temporary Garfield to Warragul school bus service, delivered by WBL, to provide immediate relief and capacity to this corridor in preparation for the 2018 school year.

As at December 2020, while there are several services at capacity in the western corridor, there are no wait-listed travellers in the Drouin network.

2.3 Patronage trends

The graph below shows a steady increase in enrolments at Drouin Secondary College over the 5-year period from 2016. The school estimates a student population of over 1200 in 2021. This would be a 21% increase in enrolments since 2016.

1200 11621056 983 959 941 955 957

0200400600800

100012001400

Enro

lments

Year

Enrolments - Drouin Secondary College


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2.4 Changes in local education delivery

2021 will see the opening of Pakenham’s newest government high school – Edenbrook Secondary College – as it welcomes year 7 students from term 1. Given a notable number of travellers in the Drouin school bus network are bypassing the existing Pakenham Secondary College to attend Drouin, a new public secondary college in the Pakenham area may impact the move away from Pakenham once the new school’s intake extends beyond year 7 only.

Whilst unlikely to affect the Drouin school bus network, it is worthy to note that January 2021 will see the opening of a new catholic primary school – St Angela’s – in nearby Warragul. The school will be located at corner of Copelands Road and Mills Road, Warragul.

2.5 Identification of local service arrangements (feeder services, shared eligibility zones, remote interchanges etc)

Two local interchanges in the Drouin township play a pivotal role in the operation of the Drouin school bus network. The Bennett St interchange is a purpose-built facility supported by safe infrastructure including barrier caging, four shelters and ample waiting area for travellers. Similarly, the Porter Place interchange – also located in Drouin town centre at Porter Memorial Park – provides a safe, off-road service point supported by ample waiting area and an undercover rotunda.

Both locations provide an interchange point for travellers to transition between their initial country school bus service and a shuttle service to their individual school. An historical agreement sees no services or students interchange at DSC.

2.6 Identification of spurs or route sections operating contrary to the SBP Policy

1374-0018 (Tynong North-Warragul) – declining eligible travellers at route commencement

The initial 10kms of Contract ID 1374-0018 (Tynong Nth-Warragul) - from stop 1 at the intersection of Clarke Road and Tynong North Road to the Garfield Fresh Harvest stop - services only 16 fare paying travellers, and no eligible travellers. As patronage at these stops decrease over time, the route could be reduced to commence from the Garfield Fresh Harvest stop.

1374-0009 (Heath Hill-Warragul) – declining eligible travellers on route section

Similarly, a 25km mid-section of Contract ID 1374-0009 (Heath Hill-Warragul) collects only ineligible and 3 eligible non-government travellers. As per page 33 of the School Bus Program Policy and Procedures, to maintain a route section or spur ‘there must be three eligible government school students who live at least 2.4km from the nearest alternative service’. This section of the route could be removed in the future, and the service diverted to a shorter course.

2.7 Identification of students travelling contrary to the SBP Policy

Blackwood Centre for Adolescent Development – bus roll

Contract ID 1322-0008 (Tonimbuk-Drouin) undertakes a second loop to service Gippsland’s Blackwood Centre for Adolescent Development. The loop collects travellers from the Bennett St interchange and Drouin station on its run to Blackwood. The review process has highlighted that a bus roll for the Blackwood loop is not maintained by the coordinating school or provided to the operator, providing both an emergency management risk and inaccurate numbers of total travellers within the Drouin network.

Inconsistencies in fare collection

The review highlighted inconsistencies in fare collection in the network. Data provided by the coordinating school reveals a number of travellers who are bypassing their nearest government school (Pakenham Secondary College, Koo Wee Rup Secondary College, Korumburra Secondary


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College and Neerim District Secondary College), however only some of these are noted as fare payers.

Whilst some of these travellers may be exempt from fare payment by way of residing more than 4.8km from a bus route to their nearest government school or lack of chosen subjects at their nearest government school, DoT recommend the coordinating school work with DET’s Student Transport Unit to ensure fare collection is applied consistently and correctly across the network in the future.

2.8 Other transport services

Gippsland rail line

The Gippsland rail line follows the western corridor of the Drouin school bus network and the coordinating school estimates over 50 DSC students currently utilise this train service to travel to school.

In the morning, these travellers access the 6.14am Traralgon-bound service at the following stations:

Station Departure time

Tynong 7.25am

Garfield 7.28am

Bunyip 7.33am

Longwarry 7.37am

This service arrives at Drouin station at 7.43am. Travellers then connect with the Route 85 public transport bus service (Warragul Station-Drouin Station via Drouin South). The service departs the Drouin station at 7.57am and arrives at DSC at 8.03am.

In the afternoon, travellers depart DSC via a school town service (DSC-Drouin East) that arrives at the Drouin train station at 3.37pm. Travellers then connect with the Melbourne-bound train service that departs Drouin station at 4.00pm and stops at the following stations:

Station Arrival time

Longwarry 4.07pm

Bunyip 4.10pm

Garfield 4.14pm

Tynong 4.18pm

Some travellers also walk between DSC and the Drouin station (1.4km) to access the train service.

Given that the Drouin school bus network services a considerable amount of Marist travellers, it is important to note that the Gippsland line train services outlined above also service Marist. The Traralgon-bound morning train service arrives from the west at the Warragul station at 7.50am. Travellers can then connect to either the Route 80 public transport service (Warragul Station-Warragul South via Est Gippsland Hospital) which sets down at 1 Lilleys Road (350m from Marist) or the Marist Sion College-Warragul East school town service which arrives at the school at 8.44am.


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In the afternoon, travellers can depart Marist at 3.30pm on the Marist Sion College-Warragul East school town service which arrives at the Warragul station at 3.37pm. The Melbourne-bound train service then departs Warragul station at 3.55pm.

It shouldn’t go unnoticed that the four relevant train stations that can (and do) provide service to DSC and Marist students from the west - Tynong, Garfield, Bunyip and Longwarry - are also currently key stops for school bus services. That is, many school bus travellers are currently accessing government-funded school buses from train stations that do in fact provide a public transport (train) service that connects suitably to their destination (DSC or Marist). So much so in fact, that the train travellers are actually arriving at the four relevant train stations in the afternoon before many of the school bus services.

As per school bus program policy (p.2) – ‘students are expected to use public transport where a service is available within 1.6km of their home or closer to their home than the nearest school bus service’ – future travellers in this network who wish to access school bus services from train stations on the Gippsland rail line can be directed to the train service.

Public transport school town services

The Drouin school bus network is also supported by three school town services operated by WBL:

- Drouin East to DSC - Drouin Central to DSC - Warragul to DSC

Private Charter arrangements

There are a number of private charter arrangements in place to various non-government schools within the network including to Marist and St Pauls.

2.9 Vehicle condition, age and quality

The table below provides details regarding the 16 contracted vehicles currently operating in the network:

Vehicle registration

Vehicle make/model Vehicle age

0203 AO Volvo B7R 2012

0202 AO Volvo B7RSA 2013

5086 AO Bluebird Bluebird 2005

2058-AO Scania K310IB 2017

2016 AO Scania K310IB Myki

Equipped 2014


2066 AO Mercedes Benz OH1830L 2007

2044 AO Hino RK260 2005

2035 AO Scania K310 2014

2007-AO Hino RK250 2003



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Vehicle registration

Vehicle make/model Vehicle age

2076 AO Scania K310IB 2016

2023-AO Mercedes Benz 500 2005

2026 AO Scania K360EB 2015



2.10 Coordinating school’s Emergency Management Plan

DSC confirm they have an emergency management plan in place that is shared with both operators, normally at the beginning of term 1 each year.

Simcocks note there is room for improvement in relation to response to rapid onset emergencies, noting the March 2019 bushfire response as an example. Cancellation of services in the fire-threatened areas of Tonimbuk/Maryknoll, Garfield, Bunyip and Drouin was not finalised until the relevant Sunday evening despite the risk being present since the Friday afternoon.

2.11 Safety issues (e.g., road & weather conditions, bus stops etc)

Martin’s Rd/Princes Hwy stop suitability

During the review process both the coordinating school and WBL raised potential safety implications at the current PM Martin’s Road/Princes Hwy stop on Contract ID 1374-0018 (Tynong North-Warragul). Although the bus can safely clear the roadway and parents remain responsible for attending to their children at the bus stop, investigation into the appropriateness of a bus stopping and families parking on the highway road shoulder resulted in agreement in November 2020 to close this stop.

Longwarry train station

The Longwarry train station is noted as currently providing insufficient shelter and waiting area for the over 100 school bus travellers who access this stop. The existing shelter is small and only comfortably provides for around 6 travellers. There is no concrete waiting area for travellers, and many are wet and muddy underfoot before boarding their school bus service.

In October 2020, V/Line submitted an application for funding to upgrade various aspects of the Longwarry station. This includes an upgrade of the bus stop and the provision of greater shelter for travellers. The outcome of this funding application is pending.

2.12 Community use of services (non-students)

Nil identified in this review.

2.13 Other issues identified during review

Coordination of 6 Warragul school bus network services

The review has revealed 6 services that are currently coordinated by the Drouin school bus network are actually historically attached to the Warragul school bus network. These services now largely service the Drouin school community.


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Service name relevance

Following on from the matter outlined above, there are several routes that have changed over time but still hold a legacy route name that is no longer relevant. This is problematic in terms of easy identification of services and presents an increased emergency management risk where services cannot be easily identified.

Contract ID 1374-0007 (Longwarry-Drouin) PM travel time

The review process has highlighted a delay in departure of Contract ID 1374-0007 (Longwarry-Drouin) in the PM run. The route services only DSC travellers but doesn’t depart the PM run until 3.53pm, which leaves travellers waiting at the college bus loop for half an hour each afternoon.

Proposed Route 86 changes - WBL

In recent years, WBL have proposed a solution to heavy loadings in the Drouin school bus network via division of public transport Route 86 (Drouin Station-Drouin North via McNeilly Rd) to two routes. The second route would service the Robin Hood estate and two other currently heavily loaded school bus stops on Princes Way. This would provide relief to school bus loadings and possibly do away with the need for additional school bus services.

In 2020, the proposal has again been reviewed by DoT’s regional network planning team who advise they will continue to work on cost effective responses to demand.

3 Proposed Network

3.1 Service proposals

3.1.1 Remove or add services

No contracted services are proposed for removal or addition to the network.

DoT propose to continue the temporary Garfield-Drouin-Warragul service at this stage. Given the notable number of ineligible travellers that are accessing the network (including in the western corridor) and the availability of public transport in the western corridor, this service is not warranted as a permanent addition to the network.

3.1.2 Upgrade/Relocate vehicles

No vehicles in the network are proposed for upgrade or relocation.

3.1.3 Alter/Amalgamate routes

Route variation – Contract ID 1374-0003 (Bunyip-Warragul)

The current Bunyip-Warragul service (1374-0003) operates express from Bunyip to Marist Sion Catholic College carrying only Marist travellers. A mis-held belief in the past that this service could not service DSC has limited its seat allocation to Marist travellers only.

DoT propose to extend this route from 2021 to also service DSC, allowing policy-directed priority of access to government travellers when seats become available on this service in the future.

A proposed route map is provided over page.


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Contract ID 1374-0003 currently also provides a shuttle service for Marist Sion travellers in the Warragul school bus network upon its arrival at Marist Sion in Warragul.

DoT propose Contract ID 1374-0007 (Longwarry-Drouin) from the Drouin school bus network will now deliver that shuttle service and a relevant route remeasure will be undertaken. The coordinating school should consider the benefit of load-shifting shuttle travellers from the current ANZ bank stop to 1374-0007 (Longwarry-Drouin), which can service this stop on-route to Warragul.

3.1.4 Reallocate students to other services (SBP, STS or public transport)

No students are proposed for reallocation between existing school bus services.

Future wait-listed travellers in the western corridor can be referred to existing public transport and school town service options, or private charter arrangements from their non-government schools.

3.1.5 Relocate services within the Centre

Nil proposed within this review.

3.1.6 Other proposals

Nil proposed within this review.

3.2 Proposed services


Service Name

Vehicle Contract Start Date Year Make Reg. Seats

Tarenberg P/L 1322-0002 Bunyip-Drouin 2012 Volvo B7R 0203 AO 57 07/09/1981

Tarenberg P/L 1322-0008 Tonimbuk-

Bunyip FDR-Drouin

2013 Volvo B7RSA 0202 AO 57 16/08/1965

W B L P/L 1374-0006 Mt Lyall-Drouin

2005 Bluebird Bluebird

5086 AO 57 06/02/1963


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4 Draft Recommendations

The following recommendations are proposed for implementation from the commencement of term 1, 2021.

4.1 Contract termination/relocation

Nil recommended within this review.

DoT recommend the current temporary Garfield-Drouin-Warragul service continues in 2021. Given however, that the network carries at least 50 fare-paying and ineligible travellers in the western corridor where this temporary service operates, this service could potentially be removed in the future if required, without affecting eligible travellers.

4.2 Additional services


4.3 Vehicle upgrade/relocation


4.4 Revised routes

DoT recommend Contract ID 1374-0003 (Bunyip-Warragul) is altered from the commencement of term 1, 2021 to also service DSC. Details of this change are outlined in section 3.1.3.

DoT recommends Contract ID 1374-0007 (Longwarry-Drouin) is altered from the commencement of term 1, 2021 to extend to Warragul (Marist) to provide the shuttle service between Marist and WRC.

4.5 Revised timetables

Contract ID 1374-0003 (Bunyip-Warragul)

Alteration of Contract ID 1374-0003 (Bunyip-Warragul) to also service DSC will extend the existing total travel time of this service by an estimated 5 minutes. AM stop times for this service will not need to change however, as it currently arrives at Marist Sion at 8.40am. That is, arriving an additional 5 minutes later in the AM service (at 8.45am) will not cause Marist travellers to arrive late to school.

Travellers in the PM service will arrive home an estimated 5 minutes later than their current PM set down time.

4.6 Other


DoT recommend the 6 Warragul school bus network services be administratively attached to the Drouin school bus network and continue to be managed by DSC to service the Drouin school community.


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DoT recommend the following service names are adjusted as outlined in the table below:

Contract ID Current service name Proposed service name

1322-0010 Bunyip-Warragul-Blackwood Bunyip-Drouin-Blackwood

1374-0009 Heath Hill-Warragul Heath Hill-Drouin

1374-0010 Poowong North-Warragul Poowong North-Drouin

Bus rolls and possible bus passes

DoT recommend the coordinating school ensure up to date bus rolls are provided to the relevant operator for all school bus services (including the 1322-0008 loop to Blackwood). This is a policy-driven requirement to reduce risk and ensure safety during the case of an emergency. It also assists operators to fulfil their obligation to only carry authorised travellers.

DoT notes and supports the coordinating school’s exploration to possibly introduce bus passes in the 2021 school year.


Consultation with the RRV Road Safety team has resulted in DoT supporting the closure of the PM Martin’s Road/Princes Hwy stop. The coordinating school will work with affected families and WBL to finalise a stop closure date and to transition travellers to the nearby Garfield Fresh Harvest PM stop.

4.7 Cost and saving

In the interest of contractual confidentiality, all costs and savings are removed from the distributed reports.

5 Draft Feedback

5.1 Correspondence received

The following items of feedback were received following release of the draft report: Email from operator – WBL P/L – received 05/01/2021:

The operator is not aware of the historical agreement mentioned at 2.5 in relation to not interchanging travellers at DSC, noting the reason is more so due to the limitations of the DSC bus loop only catering for 3 buses at any one time. The operator notes the limitations of the bus loop has been discussed in the past, but no improvements have proceeded.

The operator notes the proposed new Catholic school to be built behind DSC may share a boundary share with DSC, noting the possibly of a new interchange to be shared between the schools and the potential for abolishment of the Bennett Street and/or Porter place interchanges.


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Email from coordinating school - DSC – received 01/02/2021:

Feedback from client school, St Pauls Anglican Grammar School:

1) Provision for additional routes/route changes to cope with new estate planning and increased patronage

2) Allocation of seats for travellers, this I’m assuming will remain as per the current allocation process.

Email from coordinating school – DSC – received 03/02/2021:

Feedback from client school, Marist Sion:

We note that your bus network (Drouin) section of the Gov’t Bus Network has been reviewed and it recommends that close monitoring and some variations of the current routes. We also note that the review recommends that no new services be created and the temp bus be monitored and can be terminated when appropriate (section 4.1). It also recommends that a Follow-Up review is not recommended. There are claims there are no wait listed students, this is because our students have not been able to be waited listed for 2021.

We have 18 families who have not been able to access a bus through the Drouin Bus Network in 2021

The key data to support this assessment is that the existing network has sufficient capacity is that travellers who live within 1.6km’s of the Tynong, Garfield, Bunyip & Longwarry train stations should be catching the train (Section 2.8).

Section 3.1.4 states existing students will not be removed from buses but all future students will be advised to catch the train or private buses for non-gov’t schools.

Our feedback is:

1) We challenge the no wait listed students comment, we have 18 families who have not been able to access a bus through the Drouin Bus Network in 2021 and need to be wait listed if possible

2) Regarding eligibility based on the 4.8km’s from nearest school and if St Thomas Aquinas Catholicity is affecting their assessment and St Thomas Aquinas are now considered “fare paying and ineligible travellers” .

3) We also have OH&S concerns that many of the students who live within 1.6km’s would be required to walk on gravel roads with no designated footpaths or road lights. These children would be sharing the gravel road with cars, milk trucks and farm machinery. During winter this road sharing would be with limited light/visibility and even worse when raining.

Email from coordinating school – DSC – received 08/02/2021:

Feedback from coordinating school, DSC:

• Another bus will be needed in the near future, unless we continue to not accept bus applications, unless enrolling at DSC.

• Blackwood Roll has been addressed.

• Fare payers will more scrutinised.

• Contract ID 1374-0007 to run as a shuttle bus is not at this point in time required.

• Will, where possible, remove out of area historical Bus runs.

• Will need another town pickup, with growth due to new estate near the Nursery, if we stop taking Fare payers on this run in 2022 that will free up seats that can perhaps do a pick-up closer to town.


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5.2 Correspondence outcomes

General feedback regarding additional service needs required in the future.

Continued growth in the western corridor of the Drouin school bus network is anticipated in coming years and DoT acknowledge that existing school bus services in this part of the network are at capacity. The increased demands in this corridor, as per DET School Bus Program Policy, can be met largely with allocation of travellers to public transport where a service (that is, the Gippsland rail line) is within 1.6kms of the traveller’s home, and policy-driven removal of fare paying travellers where necessary. Prospective travellers who do not live within 1.6km of public transport can and should be wait-listed for travel and should continue to be allocated to services as per SBP policy, including the ‘priority of access to services’ guidelines (p.2).

Feedback from client schools regarding network waitlists and allocation of travellers to services. Prospective travellers who do not live within 1.6km of public transport can be wait-listed for travel and should continue to be allocated to services as per SBP policy, including the ‘priority of access to services’ guidelines (p.2). Client schools who believe they have travellers who should be wait-listed should provide this information to the coordinating school.

Feedback from Marist Sion regarding eligibility and St. Thomas Aquinas College. Travellers who are determined to be attending their next nearest non-government school can still access a bus service upon payment of a fare. As above, these travellers can be wait-listed for a service where they do not live within 1.6km of a public transport service to their school.

Feedback from Marist Sion regarding safety between travellers’ homes and public transport services. DoT does not accept responsibility of school travellers between home and their public transport stop. School bus travellers who are currently accessing school bus services from the same public transport stops (train stations) in the western corridor are bound by SBP policy which provides that ‘parents/guardians are responsible for transporting their children to and from designated bus stops and for their safety at the bus stop while waiting for the bus’ (p. 21).

6 Approved Outcomes

6.1 Contract termination/relocation


DoT recommend the current temporary Garfield-Drouin-Warragul service continues in 2021. Given however, that the network carries at least 50 fare-paying and ineligible travellers in the western corridor where this temporary service operates, this service could potentially be removed in the future if required, without affecting eligible travellers.


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6.2 Additional services


6.3 Vehicle upgrade/relocation


6.4 Revised routes

DoT recommend Contract ID 1374-0003 (Bunyip-Warragul) is altered from the commencement of term 1, 2021 to also service DSC. Details of this change are outlined in section 3.1.3.

*** 1374-0003 route alteration commenced in January 2021 ***.

DoT recommends Contract ID 1374-0007 (Longwarry-Drouin) is altered from the commencement of term 1, 2021 to extend to Warragul (Marist) to provide the shuttle service between Marist and WRC.

*** 1374-0007 route alteration commenced in January 2021 ***.

6.5 Revised timetables

Contract ID 1374-0003 (Bunyip-Warragul)

Alteration of Contract ID 1374-0003 (Bunyip-Warragul) to also service DSC will extend the existing total travel time of this service by an estimated 5 minutes. AM stop times for this service will not need to change however, as it currently arrives at Marist Sion at 8.40am. That is, arriving an additional 5 minutes later in the AM service (at 8.45am) will not cause Marist travellers to arrive late to school.

Travellers in the PM service will arrive home an estimated 5 minutes later than their current PM set down time.

6.6 Other


DoT recommend the 6 Warragul school bus network services be administratively attached to the Drouin school bus network and continue to be managed by DSC to service the Drouin school community.


DoT recommend the following service names are adjusted as outlined in the table below:

Contract ID Current service name Proposed service name

1322-0010 Bunyip-Warragul-Blackwood Bunyip-Drouin-Blackwood

1374-0009 Heath Hill-Warragul Heath Hill-Drouin

1374-0010 Poowong North-Warragul Poowong North-Drouin


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Bus rolls and possible bus passes

DoT recommend the coordinating school ensure up to date bus rolls are provided to the relevant operator for all school bus services (including the 1322-0008 loop to Blackwood). This is a policy-driven requirement to reduce risk and ensure safety during the case of an emergency. It also assists operators to fulfil their obligation to only carry authorised travellers.

DoT notes and supports the coordinating school’s exploration to possibly introduce bus passes in the 2021 school year.


Consultation with the RRV Road Safety team has resulted in DoT supporting the closure of the PM Martin’s Road/Princes Hwy stop. The coordinating school will work with affected families and WBL to finalise a stop closure date and to transition travellers to the nearby Garfield Fresh Harvest PM stop.

*** PM Martin’s Road/Princes Hwy stop was closed in late 2020 ***.


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From: Peter HoulahanTo: Gary Blackwood ([email protected])Cc: Brett McKellar; Cassie KennedySubject: Bus network concernsDate: Friday, 4 December 2020 1:14:11 PMImportance: High

Dear Gary, I write to you as local member for Narracan to alert you to some problems we are experiencing to get students to/from school in 2021. Asyou are aware the Metropolitan Planning Authority undertook a significant project in 2013 that identified West Gippsland as a high growthcorridor and subsequently released the Precinct Structure Plans in 2014 to be enacted so that local infrastructure was able to cope with theincreased population. Developers are subdividing land, families are moving into the area, existing schools are expanding capacity and newschools are being constructed. Unfortunately the School Bus Program (SBP) managed by the Department of Education and coordinated locally through Drouin SecondaryCollege does not have capacity to get all the 2021 year 7 students to school. As per the policy existing 2020 bus travellers have retainedtheir seat for 2021 but younger siblings or new families have not been so lucky. The SBP coordinator at Drouin secondary College is doing anincredible job to try to get students to school but the number of applications from families requesting a seat on a bus exceeds the numberof seats available. She has been advised to tell families that there is no waitlist for Marist-Sion students and has also advised that 2022 willbe a similar (or worse) situation. Marist-Sion has 17 students who applied for but were declined a seat on a Garfield or Bunyip bus for 2021. 5 of these applications have an older sibling already on this bus but the younger siblings were not able to get on the same bus, or evenan alternative government bus option . The response to families is that they need to utilise the public transport system (in the Garfield & Bunyip towns this is the train) to get toschool. Many of the Garfield and Bunyip families live between the old highway and the new highway and are more than 2.5 kilometres fromthe train station. A simple solution would be to add an extra bus from the Garfield/Bunyip area but this has been rejected due to budget controls. Studentswho are not provided a seat on an SBP bus would then be eligible for Conveyance Allowance so the supposed budget savings are simplycost shifting. Some of these families will not receive Conveyance Allowance as the system still records St Thomas Aquinas in Tynong as a Catholic school.St Thomas Aquinas has approximately 270 students across the Prep to Year 12 range. It operates as an Independent School and is not partof the Catholic Education system or a part of the Diocese of Sale. While the SCAS system records both St Thomas Aquinas in Tynong andMarist-Sion College in Warragul both as Catholic schools and does not differentiate between the type of Catholic school each provides thenparents are continuing to be denied conveyance allowance. Unfortunately many people within the Departments of Education and Transport do not understand the differences between the 2 types of‘Catholic’ schools and have refused to provide for this differentiation in the SCAS system. In the SCAS system all schools with the name‘Catholic’ are the same. A simple analogy would be to say that Melbourne United soccer players should train with Richmond, because theyare all ‘footballers’ who are near one another. St Thomas Aquinas and Marist-Sion are as different as Melbourne United and Richmond AFLclubs. I ask if you can help these families in Narracan to be able travel to their school. Families tell us this is causing significant stress for them andtheir children. They want to get their kids to school safely and in a timely manner but are not sure how they can do so. I will be very happy to discuss this with you. Yours sincerely, Peter Houlahan


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inquiry into the use of school buses in rural and regional

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