There are plenty of good folk who’ve spoken good words and made good things happen: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter” and “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.”

The BIC Secretariat was established in Canberra in 2002 to create and provide a stronger voice for the sector in national policy making and advocacy at federal and state levels. Of course, we don’t proclaim to match the spectacular heights of Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X, respectively above, but we like to think that the noise we do make carries some momentum.

Well, we made some noise this month.

One can argue that we were provoked, but it’s fair to say that when the Victorian government announced the deferral of bus replacement and upgrade orders – 2.5 years in metropolitan and 5 years in regional areas – the proverbial bus bear was well and truly poked.

This is where our being Australia’s voice for bus and coach for over 40 years came down pat. We went straight to the horse’s mouth with an open letter to Jacinta Allan et al. The missive was also published in a number of industry channels, and the cavalcade of national press enquiries ensued, braved fearlessly by National Technical Manager, Dean Moule.

The VIC government says it will progressively phase out and replace the public bus fleet with zero emissions buses from 1 July 2025. We believe has serious impacts to…

The economy

• VIC manufacturing/supply may close, move interstate/overseas
• Up to 1,100 VIC jobs under threat, 250 nationally, plus 250 businesses
• Loss of sovereign expertise against the ‘Made in Australia’ policy
• Losses to $270M from the VIC economy in the next year
• Losses to $30M in government stamp duty/GST revenue

Public safety

• Older buses don’t provide the latest safety features of newer buses
• New buses feature electronic stability control and seatbelt technology

The environment

Victoria aims to convert existing fleets to quieter, more comfortable lower-emission vehicles while cutting emissions. This plan will actually INCREASE emissions by leaving older, higher-polluting vehicles on the road for longer.

• Euro 6 produces 90% less airborne pollutants than an 18-year-old bus
• Extra 6.3T of carcinogenic black soot released each year new buses are not procured
• Greenhouse nitrous oxide remains excessive due to an aging fleet
• Transport is responsible for 17% of total emissions in Australia
• Replacing current Euro 0-4 vehicles with Euro 5 or 6 will reduce emissions by 50%

We believe that an effective transition to ZEBs should respect the environment AND support…

• An agnostic approach to technology: Roll out ZEBs where infrastructure permits; consider emission-friendly Euro 6 where infrastructure is not in place
• Existing industry businesses and help create new ones
• Jobs, plus the critical supply/maintenance skills required to transition
• The safety benefits new technology offers
• The creation of long-term volume plans into the future

We urged the Victorian government to work with us – with you – towards a 5-year long-term volume plan that provides clarity, economic stability, and business-viable jobs in Victoria, along with the public’s safety.

And then, we waited.

The customary automatic form responses confirm that our eagle has indeed landed. The Victorian government has also begun responding to the industry backlash and we’ve had a few choice words to say back.

Stay tuned – we’ll keep members abreast of developments as they happen.

For now, we wait and hope the government will open up and work with us.

Resources

• Read the full open letter to the Honourable Jacinta Allan, MP
• Get in touch with us with any of your questions or feedback