The Nationals WA will secure the future of Western Australia’s iconic orange school bus network, delivering much-needed stability and sustainability for this essential service relied upon by families in the Central Wheatbelt when elected to Government in 2025.
In collaboration with BusWA and the WA Liberal Party, this transformative policy will prioritise the needs of operators, students, and families across the state, including those in Central Wheatbelt.
Key commitments under the Nationals’ policy include:
- Converting all existing school bus contracts to evergreen contracts for long-term stability.
- Reinstating contract relocations to ensure continuous service delivery.
- Reducing the eligibility distance for student access from 4.5km to 2.5km from schools.
The Nationals WA candidate for Central Wheatbelt, Lachlan Hunter, strongly criticised the WA Labor Government’s current approach to school bus contracts, which has placed increasing strain on regional operators by moving away from the proven evergreen contract model.
“Since 2017, Labor has jeopardised the reliability of our regional school bus system by favouring short-term contracts designed for the lowest bidder,” Mr Hunter said.
“This approach often leads to reduced wages, inferior buses, and contracts awarded to large companies with no real community ties. Evergreen contracts are the backbone of our school bus network, fostering long-term investment, quality drivers, and high standards.”
The Nationals’ policy will also expand student eligibility, reducing the required distance to 2.5km, addressing longstanding inequities between regional and metropolitan transport networks.
“Students in Central Wheatbelt deserve the same access to safe, reliable, and cost-free transport as their metropolitan counterparts,” Mr Hunter said.
“While billions are poured into Perth’s public transport, Central Wheatbelt families are left to navigate costly and impractical systems. Our commitment ensures students living 2.5km or more from school won’t be left behind.”
BusWA General Manager John Ditchburn endorsed the Nationals’ approach, highlighting the policy’s ability to support regional operators and families.
“This proposal acknowledges the importance of school buses as an essential public service and provides the certainty needed for long-term investment and reliability in regional areas,” Mr. Ditchburn said.
