Sun rise on free Anzac service bus

By Nicole Williams
A FREE bus service to the Anzac Day dawn service at the Shrine of Remembrance will be offered to Greater Dandenong residents this month.
Councillor Peter Brown raised a notice of motion at Tuesday night’s council meeting, but some councillors were concerned that it was too late to organise.
Cr Brown said he got the idea from a similar service offered by the Victorian Government and Bus Association Victoria to residents in the eastern suburbs.
“When I saw that there was no such service for the City of Greater Dandenong and the service is being provided at no charge to other locations, I thought it was a shame the City of Greater Dandenong was not involved,” he said.
“The overriding purpose is to provide all residents with the opportunity to attend the Dawn Service at the Shrine because the lack of public transport is a problem for young people without a licence and the elderly who don’t like to drive in the dark.”
Cr Brown recommended that the service be advertised to residents and that the RSLs in Dandenong, Noble Park and Springvale would provide convenient pick-up locations.
Councillors Yvonne Herring and Angela Long expressed concern that it would be difficult to organise in only two weeks and that the local RSLs had not been consulted.
“It is a great idea but there is not enough time or been consultation with any RSLs,” Cr Long said.
“And I am sure Dandenong would like other RSLs and residents to attend its dawn services.”
The motion was passed with Cr Brown Cr Maria Sampey, Cr Jim Memeti, Cr Pinar Yesil, Cr Roz Blades, and Mayor Youhorn Chea in support of the bus service.
Cr Herring, Cr Long, Cr Loi Truon and Cr Paul Donovan voted against the motion.