Mooloolah families with kids attending Maleny State High School can now breathe a collective sigh of relief, as Member for Glass House Andrew Powell receives confirmation of a new subsidised bus service.

Despite living in the Department of Education catchment area for Maleny State High School, many parents in Mooloolah Valley had been left to fend for themselves when it came to getting their children to and from school.

“We’ve been pushing for this for the better part of three years, and I recently launched a petition to put further pressure on the Department of Transport (TMR) to provide a subsidised bus service,” said Mr Powell.

“Well, we’ve done it!  To see that goal achieved is just brilliant.”

TMR report that planning is underway for the implementation of an emergency Prescribed School Service Contract (PSSC) to provide subsidised school services directly from Mooloolah Valley to Maleny State High School, starting in term three 2021.

“Until now, Sam and Glasshouse Country Coaches stepped up for these kids and provided a bus, but it wasn’t subsidised by the government.”

“Getting subsidised transport to school, whether that be a bus, a train or whatever, has been a real struggle for my family for the past four years,” says local mum Lisa West.

“Having sent two kids to Maleny State High School while living in Mooloolah, it’s been a long-term frustration.”

“If I wanted subsidised transport I was told to send my kids to a school outside of their designated catchment, it was so ridiculous!”

TMR will work with Glasshouse Country Coaches to ensure service continuity until the solution is implemented and this may involve bringing forward the subsidised service during term 2.

Families and their students in Mooloolah Valley who are currently in a catchment other than Maleny High School will not be affected by this subsidy.  They will continue to be able to receive subsidised transport to their catchment school.

“This really is excellent news for Mooloolah parents and Maleny State High School kids. I’m so glad we were able to work together over the years to push the Government into finally delivering this result.”

“But while this is great news for Mooloolah Valley students, there’s still plenty of other schools that haven’t been lucky enough to get this solution, so my petition calling on a full review of the School Transport Assistance Scheme is still live and in need of signatures,” Mr Powell concluded.

https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/work-of-assembly/petitions/petition-details?id=3476