A future Liberal-National State Government will end the uncertainty surrounding WA’s school bus service contracts, providing a stable and sustainable future for the essential orange school bus network that so many regional families rely on.
In a united announcement today alongside BusWA representatives, Deputy Leader of The Nationals WA, Peter Rundle MLA, and Deputy Liberal Leader, Steve Martin MLA, pledged a transformative approach to school bus services that will prioritise operators, students and families across WA.
- Both the WA Liberals and the WA Nationals have committed to delivering the following key changes:
- Converting all existing school bus contracts to evergreen contracts
- Reinstate contract relocations to protect services
- Expand student eligibility from 4.5km to 2.5km from the school.
Mr Rundle criticised the current contracting system introduced by WA Labor, which has placed mounting pressure on regional school bus operators by phasing out the preferred evergreen contract model.
“Since 2017, Labor has undermined the stability of our regional school bus network by pushing short-term contracts that favour the lowest bidder, which often results in lower wages, cheaper buses, and contracts awarded to large companies with no real connection to the community,” Mr Rundle said.
“Evergreen contracts, which cover 80 per cent of current services, are the backbone of our school bus network. They encourage long-term investment, allowing operators to hire quality drivers and maintain high standards.”
Mr Martin highlighted the important of reinstating contract relocations – a policy that allows operators to retain their contracts if student numbers decline.
“By ending the evergreen contract model and going for the cheapest bidder, the Cook Labor Government has chosen to back anyone but small local businesses in regional WA,” Mr Martin said.
“The Cook Labor Government’s decision doesn’t really save taxpayers money, and it destroys regional businesses in the process
“We understand evergreen contracts offer a robust solution to the challenges faced by the school bus service sector, particularly in regional and remote areas.
“This approach not only supports the long-term delivery of essential public services but also aligns with our commitment to restoring regional services, outlined in our Building A Better Future blueprint,” he said.
The Liberals and Nationals will also expand student eligibility from 4.5 kilometres to 2.5 kilometres from school, with Mr Rundle emphasising the disparity between regional and metropolitan public transport.
