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MEN

Wednesday July 28, 2010

STAR OF THE NORTH

IN BUSINESS

Special feature Pages 16 & 17

With contracts due to expire, Griffiths blames State government inaction

‘E’ DAY! Balaklava gets into rhythm of

School bus run doubts

d o f d d e t s Ei

Lauren Hermon reports:

Horizon Christian School students and sisters, Simangaliso (top) and Blessing Nyoni will join hundreds of people who will flood the streets of Balaklava this weekend. Residents and visitors will be treated to an extraordinary display of talent guaranteed to impress as the Balaklava Eisteddfod kicks off this Friday. There are more than 400 entries. About 120 volunteers are involved behind the scenes over the three days as the town embraces the big event. There are countless other people who assist in setting up the town hall and service club volunteers. Some shops will open for extended trading hours on the weekend. Simangaliso and Blessing will be two of 60 local performers. With their mum, Cleaner and dad, Dr Layton Nyoni, the sisters relocated to Balaklava in 2007 from their home country, Zimbabwe. • Continued page 9

By Lauren Hermon Local students may be affected as school bus contractors are left in financial limbo and regional school bus services allegedly at risk as the State government continues to refuse to resolve the issue of expiring contracts. In an appeal for action, Member for Goyder, Steven Griffiths, met with a number of school bus contractors from the Goyder electorate. Fears were raised about the impact the government’s inaction and lack of policy will have on school transport throughout regional South Australia. The issue remains ongoing more than two years after it was raised. With 65 contracts scheduled to expire this year, and up to 150 expiring in the next year and a half, the government has allegedly refused to provide regional school bus contractors with any certainty – only offering them two year rollover contracts. About 20 school bus routes operate from Balaklava, servicing three

n Program, Page 9

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schools – Balaklava High School, Balaklava Primary School and Horizon Christian School. Mr Griffiths, who raised the issue in Parliament, claimed the government would not guarantee long-standing service providers with operating cost increases. Concern also surrounds earlier demands buses must be upgraded, with air conditioning and seat belts. This could cost up to $300,000 for a new rear-end “Euro standard” bus with air-conditioning and seatbelts. Local bus operators were reluctant to discuss the emotive issue. n Continued page 9

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