Cash for driving kids to school

Newcastle Herald

Thursday March 31, 2011

ALISON BRANLEY

AN Upper Hunter mother who gets paid up to $6000 a year to drive her children to and from school said the government scheme was a waste of money and a rort.Danielle Hanson said she was paid $2000 a year to drive each of her three children the 24 kilometre round trip to Milbrodale Public School twice a day under the NSW Government's Private Vehicle Conveyance Scheme.The scheme, which dates back to 1904, is paid to parents and students in places where there is no public transport - typically in rural and remote areas.Ms Hanson said when she tried to get a bus service running through Bulga, Milbrodale and Broke, parents at local schools quashed it because they wanted to keep the payment."I even know of families that moved their children to another school to increase their payments," she said.The scheme costs the government an estimated $20 million annually and benefits about 25,000 school and TAFE students and 17,000 parents around NSW.A 2008 state government review of the scheme made recommendations, but the former Labor government did not act on them.It included that payments should be calculated for families rather than individual students and be paid on a kilometre basis.Ms Hanson said the reliance on the scheme meant many parents did not have to meet Centrelink requirements because of the obligation, and could not work.Further, Bulga area parents who did work put their children on a bus that runs to schools in Singleton 20 minutes away, adding pressure on town schools and leaving nearby rural schools depleted.But Mount Pleasant and Kirkton public schools on the other side of Singleton not only had a local bus but bussed in students from Singleton, she said."The Hunter Valley is not remote nor should a select few be getting paid to drive to school when the government should be supplying a bus service," Ms Hanson said.She put together a report showing the benefits of a bus service but said it was rejected by Broke and Milbrodale public schools.Ms Hanson, who works from home, said it did not prevent her working but was speaking out because it was wrong.She initially refused the payment but takes it due to the cost of driving, but would prefer a bus."It's a false economy, it costs far more in lost work hours to drive to and from school each day than to put the kids on a bus and lose the payment," she said."But they pull out bully tactics to try and keep their payment."Parent groups at Broke and Milbrodale public schools were unavailable for a response.Tell us what you thinkletters@theherald.com.au