Thursday, 1 August 2024

Norwood Secondary College bus services

Nick McGOWAN (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (19:04): (1034) It is very important I think that we represent as best we can the schools in our districts, so when there was the recent announcement of $243 million across 65 Catholic schools I was very keen to see that some of my schools in the electorate of Ringwood were among them. Sadly, they were not, so what I seek from the minister is that next time the schools in my electorate of Ringwood do not miss out, and in particular St Johns Primary School in Mitcham, Aquinas College in Ringwood, Our Lady’s in Ringwood and St Philip’s School in Blackburn North.

What do these names all have in common – Verona, Nick, Jackie, Andrew, Tim, Karen, Marika, Marie, Carly, Kim, Kerryn, Anita, Erin, Joanne, David, Harry, Rosina, Jennifer, Michelle, Rukshana, Bradley and Meggan? Well, President – I know you are going to ask this – they are all principals, and tomorrow is Principals Day. Each and every one of them is a principal in my electorate of Ringwood, and I would like to congratulate them and wish them a happy Principals Day. I would like the Minister for Education to join with me and send them an email – maybe even a gift, a small gift, a token gift – in respect of their good work and the appreciation this state feels for their hard work to show them it does not go unappreciated and it does not go without remark.

What I also seek – it is a bumper evening; it does not stop; I have got more – from the Minister for Education is an assurance that he will urgently investigate a situation that has been occurring over some time now I understand at Norwood Secondary College, and I know it is a college close to your heart also, President. I had a discussion today with the principal at that school in fact, and what has become clear is that of the two buses the students are currently serviced by, at least one – it is the bus that services route 2641 – is of insufficient size. In other words, there are too many students on the bus. The bus is only licensed to carry in the order of 78 students, but on any given day there are actually 90-plus students on that bus.

It is an urgent matter. The school is attending to it, but nonetheless it is one of those difficult matters because while it might start with the Minister for Education, it could well end up with the minister for transport at some point, depending on who is responsible for it. But either way I would welcome the minister’s urgent intervention to ensure that the bus Norwood Secondary College receives is one of the larger Ventura buses – they are the suppliers in this case – because those buses have a capacity of around 90 students, and that would enable those students to safely get between school and home. Like all of those present today, I feel there is nothing more important than ensuring we can do that for our students day in and day out, and I thank the minister for his urgent attention to this matter.

The PRESIDENT: Mr McGowan, congratulations for getting all of that on the public record, but you can only ask for one action, so can I ask you to pick which one you would like to ask for.

Nick McGOWAN: As long as they were recorded, President.

The PRESIDENT: I know. Well done. The standing orders say you actually get some action, but can I ask you to pick.

Nick McGOWAN: It is like asking me to choose between my children. The bus has to be the answer.

The PRESIDENT: Minister Shing, before you respond, I have put some thought into Dr Ratnam’s action where she asked the minister to support a piece of legislation, a private members bill. Under the standing orders it is pretty clear that you cannot call for legislation, and I think calling to support legislation is very similar in that we have provisions with the second-reading debate relating to trying to encourage someone to vote for a piece of legislation, so I will ask you not to consider that particular action.