Wednesday, 28 May 2025

Northern Victoria Region school bus services

Gaelle BROAD (Northern Victoria) (18:22): (1664) I rise this evening to bring to the attention of the Minister for Education a matter of growing concern for the community of Falls Creek Alpine Resort in northern Victoria – specifically, the lack of school transport options for local students. To quote directly from an email I received from a resident at the Falls Creek Alpine Resort:

Currently the only way the eight students may attend is to be driven by their parents and other family members, or at times, carpooling by the same people. To make a 62 km round trip takes on average 120 minute each day, twice a day, for the adults is just not viable when they are full time employees or self-employed in small enterprises.

An application by the school principal to establish a dedicated bus route was recently rejected by the Department of Education, citing the requirement of a minimum of 15 students. However, under existing policy a feeder bus service designed to connect isolated students to main bus routes can be approved with just eight students, provided there is an existing main route to connect to. The irony is that no such main service exists along the Bogong High Plains Road, the only access route to Mount Beauty, leaving these students in limbo.

This is not just a transport issue, it is an equity issue. Falls Creek is a remote community that contributes significantly to Victoria’s tourism economy, yet families are being forced to leave because they cannot access basic educational services for their children. This undermines the long-term sustainability of the community and the wellbeing of its youngest members. The situation becomes even more urgent as we approach the winter season. Travel becomes more hazardous, and parents, many of whom rely on the winter months for their primary income, face impossible choices between earning a living and ensuring their children can attend school.

I ask the minister to urgently review the current transport policy as it applies to Falls Creek and consider either reinstating a dedicated school bus service or facilitating a seasonal feeder service during term 3, when the need is most important. There are existing coach services between Falls Creek and Mount Beauty during winter, and a partnership with these operators could provide a safe, cost-effective interim solution. It is also important to consider long term. To quote from the correspondence:

Securing a bus service (or reinstating the one that ceased many years ago) should be viewed as a long term solution … as we have full childcare (maximum 16) and approximately 20 permanent year-round students attending the Falls Creek Primary School, so we know that there will be growing demand for a transport solution in the coming years. In the thirty years I have resided in Falls Creek, I have seen many people having to leave a place they love to live and work in simply because they cannot access secondary education easily for their children. The residents of Falls Creek are key to ensuring that one of Victoria’s great tourism assets continues to operate …

Minister, with the peak winter season approaching, I urge you to act swiftly to ensure that Falls Creek students are not left behind.