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In short:
Queensland school bus drivers have been excluded from an industry-wide pay increase.
The state's bus industry peak body says this will worsen staff shortages for school routes.
What's next?
Public bus drivers will receive the $35 per hour increase from July 2025, with the exception of school bus drivers.
Queensland school bus drivers will not receive a cent from an industry-wide wage increase which was designed to equalise pay in the sector.
Translink has confirmed the state government's $35 per hour pay parity deal for South East Queensland and Regional Urban bus drivers will exclude school routes.
Queensland Bus Industry Council executive director Jason O'Dwyer said school bus drivers would be paid about $10 per hour less for doing the same duties as their urban counterparts.
"The state and federal government have been very clear about 'same job, same pay', but when the rubber hits the road in this industry we don't seem to get that," Mr O'Dwyer said.
"Because the wages are so bad for school bus operators we can't attract anybody on the school bus."
The Queensland Government announced the $35 per hour deal in December as part of a program to close pay disparities between Translink-contracted bus companies.
Mr O'Dwyer said his peak body had repeatedly asked the state government to include school bus drivers on the $35 per hour deal, but had been rejected.
Mr O'Dwyer said it was already difficult to recruit school bus drivers, and that he expected staff shortages to worsen in light of these new disparities.
He said the industry was steadily losing drivers to companies who typically paid around $40 to $45 per hour for truck drivers.
Nothing is off the table
Queensland Transport Minister Bart Mellish said he was willing to consult with bus industry representatives.
"I talk to bus contractors regularly, I talk to the bus industry regularly, my doors are always open and I'm happy to keep the discussion going," Mr Mellish said.
"It's not something I've ruled out but I'm keen to have another look at it."
A Translink spokesperson said the government's funding package was aimed at easing cost-of-living pressures and retaining bus drivers.
"The Queensland Government is proud to be delivering this initial cost of living funding package to improve urban bus driver wages," the spokesperson said.
"Discussions are ongoing for school bus drivers."
Funding for the $155 million package was given to bus companies on the condition that they send their new drivers to an industry stakeholder forum.
Mr O'Dwyer said the Transport Workers Union was included in the forum, but the Department of Transport and Main Roads rejected the Queensland Bus Industry Council's request to be included.
Mr Mellish said was he unaware that the Queensland Bus Industry Council had been excluded from the forums, but would "look into it".
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