NEW zoning policies that force some families to pay to bus their children to school have abandoned commonsense and left towns divided.
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In just one case, the review of zoning means a Wahgunyah family can send three children to Wangaratta on the bus at no cost, but must pay for the fourth.
Corowa children making the same trip can still travel free but those on the wrong side of the “zone” will be looking at a cost of up to $1240 per child each year.
Parents in Beechworth and Wahgunyah were told late last year that they would no longer be eligible for the free school bus because, technically, other Catholic schools at Myrtleford and Yarrawonga are closer.
But no bus runs to either of those towns.
Benambra MP Bill Tilley and Ovens Valley MP Tim McCurdy have both been approached by families affected by the change to zoning, and both have questioned the application of common sense in the equation.
One would have to question the theory applied when the review of zones took place under a Coalition government.
The logical thing to do surely would be to apply the zones by postcode.