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STUDENT TRANSPORT CONCESSION CAMPAIGN - UPDATE

Below is an image of the letter sent to the local MP for Wallsend, Sonia Hornery.

Here is an image of the response.

I have been informed by Sonia Hornery's office that she will make a speech in state parliament concerning this issue and will quote the letter and use material from the casesheets students filled in.

UPDATE - 26/08/2011

The image below was sent to us by Sonia Hornery's office. She asked the following questions of the Minister for Transport in State Parliament.

Here is the letter from the Minister of Transport addressed to Sonia Hornery and responding to our letter.

This response is not completely accurate and does not address all the points raised in the original letter.

1) Points not addressed from the original letter

External Students - No mention of the reasoning behind why external students are unable to receive transport concessions.

Domestic Students, full-time study and employment - No response given for the restriction of transport concessions to working students.

2) Inaccurate responses

International Students - Requiring proof of funds is a recent introduction, there are many international students still in the country who did not have to show proof of funds in order to obtain an international student visa. In addition, an international student is any student who is the holder of a temporary visa. There are many different types of temporary visas, but she is referring only to the international student visa.

3) Questions/comments arising from the response

a. Gladys Berejiklian, the Minister, states in the letter that part-time students, "are considered to be better placed to be able to participate in paid employment, and, therefore, cover their own transport costs." This is the reasoning behind not allowing part-time students to claim a transport concession.

Q1. Upon what evidence is this based?

C2. Being better placed to participate in paid employment does not mean that a student necessarily finds or seeks employment.

b. The minister completely overlooks the part of our letter which refers to the 2006 court case where international students took the Minister of Transport to court, and won, on the grounds that preventing international students from obtaining transport concessions was in breach of the 1977 NSW Anti-discrimination Act.

C1. This is a discriminatory legislation and it is shocking that NSW and Victoria still discriminate against international students in this manner.

C2. Our letter made specific reference to the connection between safety and lack of transport concessions for international students.

C3. This letter seems to be suggesting that eligibilty to student transport concessions is based entirely upon perceived financial means. There are many domestic full-time students who do not work and as such receive a concession who are financially placed in a much better situation than international, part-time or domestic full-time working students. If this is entirely financial, then surely all students should be means tested?

C4. The public transport in Newcastle is inadequate. The students who take public transport are for the most part those that have no choice, i.e. cannot afford a car.

C5. Students receive a transport concession because as a group we need financial assistance. There is a broader principle at stake here.

We will respond to this letter raising our points and I shall be writing to Tim Owen, Member for Newcastle, to apply for his representation in State Parliament.

If you have any comments, or would like to assist with this campaign even if just by filling out more case sheets, assisting with the petition, then send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

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I have also been asked to collate information regarding student's opinion on the public transport within Newcastle. In order to do this, could you please send an email to:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with responses to the following questions:

1) Is the transport adequate?
2) Are the tickets priced reasonably?
3) Is the service reliable?
4) Is the service safe?
5) Any further comments to make?