Page 3522 - Week 11 - Thursday, 15 November 2007

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(1) Does the Department of Education and Training encourage the Walking School Bus and other efforts to encourage children to walk to school;

(2) How many children who lived within the priority enrolment area of their closed, or closing, school are now at a school that is too far away for them to safely walk or ride.

Mr Barr: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:

(1) Yes. The Department of Education and Training has been an active member of the YWCA Walking School Bus Reference Group since its inception in 2003. At present, 17 ACT schools have an established Walking School Bus Program with 35 routes between them.

On 19 September 2007 I announced Get a move on: The importance of school-based initiatives to increase children’s physical activity. Principle no 1 suggests walking or riding to school as an activity that students can perform to achieve at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day.

(2) Students at schools affected by closure are given right of enrolment at another school in the same region. In addition, new priority enrolment areas have been established to assist families to identify their nearest school. Students enrolled in a school within their priority enrolment area are not deemed to be living too far away for them to safely walk or ride to school.

ACTION bus service—costs
(Question No 1703)

Dr Foskey asked the Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, upon notice, on 27 September 2007:

(1) How much of the annual cost of running ACTION buses is related to (a) counting currency, (b) transporting and banking currency, (c) security for the transport and storage of currency, (d) ticket printing, including printing supplies, (e) commissions to agencies that sell ACTION prepaid tickets, (f) purchasing, maintaining, and installing ticket machines on buses, (g) employing ticket inspectors and (h) prosecuting/fining ticket cheats;

(2) Are there any other costs involved in relation to currency and fare evasion; if so, (a) what are they and (b) how much do they cost annually.

Mr Hargreaves: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:

(1) The services listed under (a), (b) and (c) above are provided by Chubb Security at a cost of $213,000 per annum. (d) The cost of ticket printing including printing supplies is $195,000 per annum. (e) Agents commission is $720,000 per annum. (f) No ticket machines have been purchased for many years. However spare parts are purchased to maintain the equipment. Maintenance and installation costs are $275,000 per annum. (g) Nil. (f) Nil.

(2) No


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