9. Question No. 9—TransportSHANAN HALBERT (Labour—Northcote) to the Minister of TransportQuestion No. 9—Transport9. SHANAN HALBERT (Labour—Northcote) to the Minister of Transport: What recent announcement has the Government made about the bus driver workforce?Hon MICHAEL WOOD (Minister of Transport): Last week I announced that the Government is investing $61 million allocated in Budget 2022 to help standardise and improve wages and conditions for bus drivers across New Zealand. We know that having drivers in place to provide reliable bus services is critical in supporting people to get on to public transport—that's why we're investing to ensure that the industry local councils and unions work together to transition the industry to higher base rates of $30 per hour for urban drivers and $28 per hour for regional drivers. I'd like to thank those members of the Bus Driver Conditions Steering Group including unions employers and councils for their ongoing work to build consensus around improvements to driver terms and conditions.Shanan Halbert: How will the funding that he has announced impact the bus driver workforce around New Zealand?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: We know that wages and conditions for bus drivers vary widely around the country. The $61 million allocated in Budget 2022 will support the sector to move towards more common industry standards for wages and conditions across New Zealand. Local councils and operators will be able to access a share of funding if they also contribute to ensure that all players in the system are putting money on the table to improve pay and conditions. This will help us to progressively reach an industry standard of $30 per hour for urban services and $28 per hour for regional services which will make the sector a more attractive place for people to work.Shanan Halbert: What other work is the Government doing to improve terms and conditions for the bus driver workforce?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: Along with the focus on standardising wage rates in the immediate term we're also working with councils operators and unions to lift wages and improve a range of working conditions in the medium term. This includes looking at overtime rates split shifts and other ways of making bus driving a more attractive place to work in so that we can retain and attract the workers that we need. We know that improving the conditions of drivers will make it easier to do this meaning that New Zealanders will be able to enjoy more frequent and reliable bus services in the years to come.Shanan Halbert: How do these improvements to bus driver terms and conditions fit with the Government's broader work to improve the reliability of public transport?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: The improvements that we have announced through our additional $61 million investment will be supported by the creation of a Sustainable Public Transport Framework which I announced in August which replaces the previous Public Transport Operating Model (PTOM) which had driven down pay and conditions for bus drivers across New Zealand. The new Sustainable Public Transport Framework along with value for money prioritises fair and equitable treatment of employees mode shift and improved environmental and health outcomes in the sector. We know that the race to the bottom caused by PTOM was one of the root causes of the bus driver shortage that we face and we're having to clean up today. Our Government recognises the vital role that public transport has in our everyday lives and in our economic and environmental future.