Class inaction

By Tania Martin
A MONBULK resident’s education hangs in the balance as she waits for improvements to bus services to the town and the Dandenong Ranges.
Cailie Coney, 20, has Down syndrome and is hoping to apply to study a course in work education which could lead to a job as a librarian.
But Cailie’s mother, Margaret Coney, said they were not sure where Cailie would be studying next year as the current bus services in Monbulk and the Dandenong Ranges would restrict where she could go.
This comes after the Minister for Transport, Peter Batchelor, announced a number of bus improvements for the Shire of Yarra Ranges.
Ms Coney said she was surprised that the announcement did not include improvements to Monbulk after a shirewide bus improvement campaign.
“We expected to be included after all that went on last year and all the people who pushed in this area for improvements, we thought we would get some extra buses and somehow the government didn’t put one on at Monbulk,” Ms Coney said.
Ms Coney said Cailie is currently studying at Swinburne TAFE in Wantirna on Thursdays and has to spend 90 minutes each way on the bus to attend the fourhour class that starts at 12.30pm.
She said the hard part was not getting there but coming home.
“Cailie has to catch a bus to Ferntree Gully Station because their are no evening buses from Knox City to Monbulk, and then she has to use a voucher to catch a taxi home,” she said.
Ms Coney said she was not just concerned for Cailie but all the young and elderly people living in the Dandenongs.
She said in most cases young people are being forced to move away from home to live closer to Melbourne’s city centre to continue their education.
Shire of Yarra Ranges manager of communications James Martin said the council would be continuing to campaign for increased bus services in the Dandenongs.
“The council is hopeful that the recent transport announcement was not the end of the bus service improvements,” he said.
Mr Martin said the council would be promoting the need for improvements and working with local Members of Parliament to make sure the State Government remained aware of the issue.
The Mail tried to contact Mr Batchelor but he was unavailable.