The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) has conducted a review into concession fares in NSW. The report has recommended that all university students, including part-time and international students, receive concession cards.
The Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association (SUPRA) has been campaigning for more inclusive transport concessions since 2006, when they challenged the NSW Transport Administration Act 1998 as a breach of the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act 1977. A later amendment of the 1998 Act allowed for the continued exclusion of international and part-time students from eligibility to concession fares.
At the time of writing, full-time domestic students are the only students eligible to concession fares in NSW. Additionally, NSW is the only Australian state that does not provide concession fares to international students.
In 2023, SUPRA put forth a petition with 21,000 signatures to the NSW Legislative Assembly
This petition was lodged in the Legislative Assembly in March 2024 by Greens Member of Parliament Jenny Leong. It was debated on Thursday 9th May 2024.
The IPART review recommended in a draft that “Transport for NSW extend the eligibility for Concession Opal to holders of a Commonwealth Health Care Card and/or Low Income Health Care Card.”
SUPRA has responded to this recommendation, adding that “this recommendation
be expanded to include all tertiary students, including part-time and international students.” In addition, SUPRA cited their experience in casework, advocacy and campaigning to confirm their rationale that part-time, international and disabled students must be made eligible for concession fares.
NSW Minister for Transport Jo Haylenspoke against the petition in May, despite campaigning as someone who “will always stand up for transport that is accessible, reliable, safe and affordable.”
A 2017 post on Haylen’s website, dated during her campaign for re-election, posits that “a Labor Government would extend student travel concessions to university and TAFE students who study part-time, or who study full-time online.”
Weihong Liang, SUPRA’s Education Officer, spoke to the significance of the report. “This is the first formal report in recent years to endorse student transport concessions. It signals that this topic has now entered a serious policy discussion.”
He added, “The next critical step is to push the Transport Minister to adopt the report’s recommendations, lead the conversation, review the costs and benefits, and provide concessions as soon as possible.
“Student unions and NSW international student leaders will convene early next year to develop our plan for 2025. If the Minister and Parliament remain unresponsive, we may consider launching a new e-petition to renew pressure.”
Victor Zhang, a member of the Disability Collective (DisCo) commented on behalf of DisCo that “IPART’s recommendation in their report on fare prices is a tremendous step forwards. It demonstrates the widespread support for this policy change and the necessity for reform to address inequities faced by marginalised groups.”
He continued, “The rank-and-file campaign in our Labor branches led by the USYD Labor Club and Young Labor Left has gotten the provision of transport concessions to international and part-time students into the NSW Labor policy platform as a commitment.
We are heartened by the widespread support in our branches and the unwavering support of the Rail, Tram, and Bus Union (RTBU). We hope that the Transport Minister will act according to the wishes of the rank-and-file and unions to work constructively towards ending this inequity in transport. “
The university administration has declared support for the campaign. They stated, “We highlighted this matter in our NSW pre-Budget submission, and our Vice-Chancellor has raised it with the NSW Vice-Chancellors’ Committee. We also provide advice for students around travel concessions and how to access them if they’re eligible, and help part-time students with a disability to access a concession Opal card.”
