NSW is signing experienced Kiwi bus drivers from New Zealand to fill a shortage on its Northern Beaches routes in Sydney.
The state government says three out of 10 bus service cancellations in Sydney are on Northern Beaches routes.
It concedes the region’s unaffordable housing has helped drive local bus drivers away claims to be fixing a problem it says it inherited.
Transport for NSW says so far it helped 17 bus drivers from New Zealand to get behind the wheel for private bus firm Keolis Australia on the lower north shore (including Manly and Palm Beach); it says another 10-20 bus drivers are being signed up.
An advertisement on the Australian site of jobs website SEEK.com mentions a salary of $80,000 to $120,000.
Unions have warned that NZ drivers may face an affordability trap in one of the wealthiest parts of the city: click here for that report.
DEAL FOR KIWI DRIVERS
The Kiwi drivers are having their airfares paid as well as six weeks accommodation in the area provided rent-free but they do not qualify for a $2000-$3000 cash sign-on bonus offered to new and experienced Australian drivers.
Transport Minister John Graham says: “The government wants to send a big ‘kia ora’ to the 17 drivers from New Zealand who have so far helped us out with their experience and professionalism.”
“Australians have a tradition of adopting New Zealanders as our own … but if you’re waiting for a bus on Pittwater Road, the Kiwi driving the next service may just become your favourite import yet,” he says.
“We worked overtime to reduce the bus driver shortage we inherited but the deficit on the Northern Beaches has remained intractable. This is a special situation that has required a special fix.”
The government says Sydney’s bus driver shortage blew out past 500 after the former Coalition government privatised bus services until they brought it down to 179 last month.
The government says the region’s high housing costs price many workers out of the area which is why the bus driver shortage at Northern Beaches depots remains persistent and its services most susceptible to last-minute cancellation.
Transport for NSW Co-ordinator General Howard Collins says the recruitment campaign “is a practical, targeted initiative to help address driver shortages in one of the most challenging parts of the network to recruit for”.
“Our door is always open to men and women who are interested in becoming bus drivers in NSW and we encourage people from all backgrounds to consider this career,” he says.
“By bringing in qualified drivers who can transition quickly into service, we’re strengthening reliability for passengers while continuing to build a sustainable local workforce.”
The government says bus driver job vacancies across Sydney are down from around 500 in April 2023 to 162 this month with cancellations down to 1.54% of all scheduled services.
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