Victorian Political News		www.robertclark.net

Free Anzac day bus for dawn service at Shrine

News Release - 7 April 2000

The State Member for Box Hill, Mr Robert Clark, has thrown his support behind a local early morning bus service to take passengers to and from the Dawn Service at the Shrine of Remembrance on Anzac Day.

The free service aims to provide the opportunity for Melburnians who are interested in attending the Dawn Service to get to the Shrine in time. This has not previously been possible with standard train and bus timetables.

The service, which has the support of the Victorian RSL, have been made available by the Minister for Transport on a trial basis in a small number of electorates.

Under the trial, local Members of Parliament will serve as the co-ordinators of the service in their electorates.

Mr Clark and the Member for Mitcham, Mr Tony Robinson, have put aside their political differences to act as joint co-ordinators for a bus which will take residents from the Box Hill and Mitcham electorates.

Each member will be able to offer about 25 seats to constituents on a first-in-best-dressed basis. The service is likely to have two pick up points in each electorate. The bus will use a special parking area close to the Shrine at the southern end of Birdwood Avenue.

"The buses will aim to get passengers to the Shrine by 5.45am, and depart again at about 8am. The service allows passengers to take up the RSL's offer of a gunfire breakfast at Victoria Barracks which has proven exceptionally popular in the past," Mr Clark said.

Residents of the Box Hill electorate interested in using the service should contact Mr Clark's office on 9898 6606, while interested Blackburn, Nunawading and Mitcham residents can contact Mr Robinson's office on 9878 4113.

(The Box Hill electorate covers the City of Boroondara area east of Balwyn Road and north of Canterbury Road and the City of Whitehorse west of Middleborough Road and north of Canterbury Road.)