Volunteers may get free rides

By Sarah Schwager
CASEY’S volunteer groups may be given free access to council’s community buses.
At Tuesday’s council meeting, council decided to prepare a report on making its eight community buses free to all volunteer community organisations in Casey, apart from petrol costs.
Deputy mayor Kevin Bradford said the buses were currently being under-utilised and he believed this was because of the rental costs.
“When you consider it, it is a bit hypocritical. These are ratepayers who give rates to council, then we’re charging them again to use the buses,” Cr Bradford said.
He said many groups had problems coming up with money for the day to day running of their organisation let alone for travel.
“Why let the buses sit around vacant? As a local government body we shouldn’t be making not-for-profit organisations hire them out.”
Diners at the Cranbourne Community Kitchen have this year had access to the community buses free of charge and Cr Bradford said he would like to see other needy residents in the community provided with the same service.
Councillor Janet Halsall said it was a good idea but a report needed to be tabled to identify the costs and ways of policing it so all volunteer groups were given equal access.