By Aoife Moynihan
Government looks to New Zealand to address driver shortage
In a bid to address the current bus driver shortage, Transport for NSW has assisted 17 qualified bus drivers from New Zealand to join private operator Keolis Northern Beaches in Region 8 which encompasses the lower North Shore, Manly and Palm Beach, with another 10 to 20 bus drivers in the process of being recruited.
Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby said that while State Government support was welcome, it highlighted the ‘pitfalls of privatisation of core essential services.’
“The responsibility ultimately sits with Keolis as the operator of our local network,” Ms Scruby told PL. “This is an example of the NSW Government stepping in to assist and financially support a private operator over and above their contract requirements.”
“The (previous) Liberal State Government engaged in contracts in theory designed to save the taxpayer, with the reality being the operator was unable to deliver, letting residents down and requiring the government to assist them,” she added.
Ms Scruby said that the community needed a reliable bus service that was ‘staffed by a workforce that is properly supported, whether they are local or newly arrived.’
‘It’s a real world response to an industry-wide driver shortage.’
Keolis Northern Beaches
“People of the Northern Beaches want better bus services, said Ms Scruby. “For that to be addressed properly, more needs to be done to back our local bus drivers, make these jobs more attractive locally, through better pay, conditions, and more innovative recruitment and retention strategies.”
New Zealand bus drivers will have their air fares paid and six weeks accommodation in the area provided rent-free. Kiwis do not qualify for the $2,000 to $3,000 cash sign-on bonuses offered to new and experienced Australian drivers and no visa is required for New Zealand drivers under mutual recognition arrangements between the two countries.
Housing costs on the Northern Beaches made it difficult to attract and retain bus drivers locally, the government said in a statement. It also made the area ‘most susceptible’ to last-minute cancellations. The shortage of drivers on the Beaches had been ‘intractable,’ requiring a ‘special fix,’ Transport Minister John Graham said.
The Rail, Tram, and Bus Union (RTBU) said recruiting bus drivers from New Zealand was a ‘band-aid on a privatisation wound.’
RTBU Tram and Bus Divisional president Peter Grech said privatisation had driven down the pay and conditions for bus drivers and created the shortage the government is now scrambling to fix by flying in workers from overseas.
“The NSW Government is looking overseas for a band-aid solution to cover what privatisation actually delivered,” said Mr Grech. “This is what happens when you privatise essential services and let companies prioritise making a dollar over delivering quality service for workers and commuters. Private operators have cut pay, stripped conditions right back and have treated bus driving as a cost to be minimised rather than a skilled job that keeps Sydney moving. Is it any wonder they can’t find drivers?”
Keolis said bringing in drivers from New Zealand was a ‘practical step’ to get more drivers on the road.
“This isn’t about theoretical arguments – it’s a real world response to an industry wide driver shortage,” a Keolis spokesperson told PL. “Those drivers (are) employed under Australian pay and conditions and supported with accommodation on arrival, as part of a broader recruitment program that includes ongoing local recruitment, training and retention initiatives.”