O'FARRELL SENDS NSW BUS MANUFACTURING JOBS TO QUEENSLAND

MEDIA RELEASE | Thursday, 23 August 2012

O'FARRELL SENDS NSW BUS MANUFACTURING JOBS TO QUEENSLAND

Barry O'Farrell is sending local manufacturing jobs to Queensland under his plan to build new buses interstate – at the same time a NSW bus manufacturer has been forced to sack 85 workers.

Today it was revealed the double decker buses being trialled under the O'Farrell Government will all be built in Queensland – despite local bus manufacturer Volgren already announcing it will sack 85 workers because of declining bus orders from the government.

This also comes as the O'Farrell Government has cut the bus growth program and cancelled the delivery of 31 locally manufactured new buses that were supposed to be rolled out on Sydney streets this year.

"There is no excuse for Barry O'Farrell sending valuable bus manufacturing jobs to Queensland," Shadow Transport Minister, Penny Sharpe said today.

"Barry O'Farrell is the Premier of NSW, not Queensland.

"Hunter based bus manufacturer Volgren has already announced it is sacking 85 workers because the O'Farrell Government has cut the new bus program.

"Now, we find out Queensland bus manufacturers are celebrating today because the O'Farrell Government is sending NSW bus contracts interstate.

"What kind of Premier sends manufacturing contracts interstate instead of supporting local bus manufacturers already doing it tough?

"The numbers of buses being delivered on Barry O'Farrell's watch are already failing to keep up with rising demand and this will only make things worse.

"In 2009, there were 730 new buses registered in NSW. In the first half of 2012, there have been just 130.

"The NSW economy and local workers should be the ones benefiting from the construction of new buses, not Queensland."