Govt plans to pull rural bus funding
Axing rural school bus routes to the city has been labelled unfair by regional leaders who say ratepayers will have to pick up the government’s tab.
The Ministry of Education intends to withdraw funding for 10 rural school bus services in the Waikato by July 2018, a move a Waikato Regional Council report says will overload its existing network at peak times and force the purchase of new vehicles.
At the first Regional Transport Committee meeting of the term, chairman Hugh Vercoe told new members funding any service after the Ministry withdraw will be split, 50/50, between the New Zealand Transport Agency and affected councils.
The cost of the services is about $500,000 a year.
‘‘The only good thing about it is we have time on our side to try and work something through,’’ Vercoe said.
Ten ministry funded routes, catering to 560 students from Te Awamutu, Huntly, Cambridge, Ngaruawahia, Te Aroha, Morrinsville and Melville travelling to three special character schools in Hamilton - Sacred Heart College, St John’s College and Waikato Diocesan School for Girls - will be affected.
And because Hamilton hosts the last leg of the journey, city ratepayers will have to stump up with part of the cost as well.
‘‘Why should Hamilton City ratepayers come in and pay 25 percent of bringing kids in to school?’’ asked Vercoe.
Council has expressed concern to the Ministry and a national School Transport Steering Group has been set up to look at a wholeof-government approach to school and urban public transport.
‘‘We will be saying to central government, with elections coming up later this year, is it fair that you set up these special character schools and you said you will provide transport for the students?
‘‘You can’t set up something and walk away from the funding.’’
The Ministry’s head of the education infrastructure service Kim Shannon said transport funding is targeted to rural students who have no other transport options. Public transport exists on the 10 routes in question.
‘‘We don’t provide services in the urban centres of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Tauranga because these areas have effective public transport networks in place. Hamilton and surrounds is in the same situation,’’ Shannon said.
Regional councillor Russ Rimmington said it’s an ‘‘unbelievable’’ decision.
‘‘Line them up, find out why they are pulling back on this and abdicating their responsibilities,’’ Rimmington said.
Councils are being left to grapple with four options now on the table from watching the withdraw happen and doing nothing to taking over the routes or providing more public transport.
Hamilton City Council representative on the committee, Dave Macpherson, said none of the options has Ministry of Education funding.
‘‘If they are supporting character schools, which is why most of the buses are bringing people into Hamilton, are they saving money at Waikato ratepayers’ expense?
‘‘If it is more efficient to move people on council’s contracted service, I could buy that argument but they shouldn’t be saving money at the expense of those,’’ ‘‘ Macpherson said.
St John’s College principal Shane Tong said rural students won’t get the education they want if buses are cut but he is still confident a positive outcome can be reached.
‘‘About a third of our boys are rural bus boys. We are the only Catholic option for secondary boys in the greater Waikato,’’ Tong said.
More than $190 million is spent every year on school transport.