- Published:
- Tuesday 10 December 2024
Melton, Point Cook, Mt Atkinson, Clyde and Miners Rest are the latest growing suburbs getting access to new or improved school bus services thanks to the Allan Labor Government.
In the first two terms of 2025, 15 new school specials will be added to these growth areas, whilst in Ballarat, school specials servicing Miners Rest and Macarthur Park will now connect to Mount Rowan Secondary College.
With a focus on Melbourne’s growing west, January sees students in Mt Atkinson and Deanside benefit from six new school specials servicing Mt Atkinson Estate, Grandview Estate, Olivia Estate and Deanside.
These will support students attending Rockbank Primary, Brookside P-9, Yarrabing Secondary College, Lakeview Senior College, Deanside Primary School and Springside West Secondary College.
Melton students attending Staughton College will also benefit from six new school specials, with two school specials linking students in Weir Views with the College being introduced from Term 1, and another four services connecting students in Brookfield, Cobblebank and Stathtulloh with Staughton College being rolled out in Term 2.
Also in the west, Point Cook students will get a new school special in Term 2 giving Sanctuary Lakes students more public transport options to Homestead Senior Secondary College, Alamanda K-9 College and Saltwater P-9 College.
In Melbourne’s south-east, the start of the 2025 school year will see a new school special service introduced connecting students in Smiths Lane Estate in Clyde North to the new Wulerrp Secondary College.
Another new school special will be added in Term 2, connecting students in Smiths Lane and St Germain Estates to Kambrya Secondary College. Route changes are also being made to the existing school special services in the area to provide additional capacity for students attending Clyde Secondary College.
In Ballarat, Term 1 will see school specials servicing Miners Rest and Macarthur Park now connecting to Mount Rowan Secondary College in response to local population growth and enrolment zone changes.
These latest improvements are part of a $25 million investment in the Victorian Budget 2022/23 to introduce, modify and extend school bus services across the state, initially focused on growth areas, which is already delivering better services for thousands of Victorian students.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Public and Active Transport Gabrielle Williams
“This builds on the $730 million we’ve invested since 2014 to deliver thousands of new and improved bus services across the state.”
Quote attributable to Member for South Eastern Metropolitan Region Michael Galea
“We’re listening to local parents and students in Clyde North and giving them better school bus services to connect them to Kambrya, Wulerrp and Clyde Secondary Colleges.”
Quote attributable to Member for Ripon Martha Haylett
“We’re responding to the changing needs of local parents and students in Ballarat’s growing north, better connecting their school bus services to Mount Rowan Secondary College and Ballarat High School.”
Quote attributable to Member for Koroit Luba Grigorovitch
“We’re listening to local parents and students in Mt Atkinson and Deanside giving them better direct connections to their local schools.”
Quote attributable to Member for Melton Steve McGhie
“Local parents and students across Melton and surrounding areas are set to benefit from better bus connections to schools.”
Quote attributable to Member for Point Cook Mathew Hilakari
“We’re giving Victorians parents and students what they need with better public transport including more buses to schools in Melbourne’s growing west.”
Quote attributable to Member for Sydenham Natalie Hutchins
“We said we would provide parents and students with better school bus services in growing communities and that’s exactly what we’re delivering.”