YouTube 1 - Fair Fares Rally!

Posted in: Concession Card Campaign, News

Action Update - Gearing up for the Fair Fares Rally!

Posted in: Concession Card Campaign
CCC-MediaLaunch-150.jpg
“We demand Transport Concession Card Equality”
: Victorian International and Postgraduate Students

The Concession Card Coalition arranged a media launch on 24 August, building momentum for the Fair Fares Rally to be held on Wednesday 2 September.

Read more >

Download attachment(s): [ Initial Letter to John Brumby 29 April 09 ] [ Response from John Brumby 29 June 09 ] [ Further Letter to John Brumby 24 August 09 ]


Fair Fares Rally - 2 September

Posted in: Concession Card Campaign
Fair FaresSept 2, Melbourne University Poster
Join your fellow students on this peaceful rally to demand concession fares for ALL international and postgraduate students!
Join your fellow University of Melbourne students on this peaceful rally to demand Fair Fares for all students!  International and postgraduate students are discriminated against in Victoria, denied public transport concession cards!

On Wednesday 2 September, gather with fellow students at 1 pm in front of the Graduate Centre (1888 Building) in Grattan Street. We will then continue to the State Library of Victoria for the 2 pm rally which includes representatives from universities and colleges all over Victoria.

Date: Wednesday 2 September
Time: 1 pm
Place:  The University of Melbourne Graduate Centre (1888 Building), Grattan Street

Download attachment(s): [ Fair Fares rally downloadable poster ]


GSA Submission to the Senate Inquiry into the Welfare of International Students

Posted in: Concession Card Campaign, News

Link to the pdf of the GSA's full submission
GSA Recommendations

The GSA recommends that:

  • funding for scholarships and for student support services be increased in order to meet the increasing demand of a growing international student cohort;
  • international student visa costs be reduced to make them comparable with other countries;
  • international student visa conditions be revised in order to allow for more leniency for students whose visas are revoked or those who wish to have their visa extended;
  • public transport concessions be granted to all international students, regardless of which state they reside in, or which course they are studying."
Click the picture or the link below to see the GSA's full submission

Download attachment(s): [ GSA Submission Senate Inquiry - Welfare of International Students ]


“Fair Fares” Campaign Update, July 2009

Posted in: Concession Card Campaign, News

Fare Fairs Rally Poster
Fair Fares Rally - 2 pm, Wednesday 2 September 2009, Outside the State Library of Victoria
During the winter holidays, the Fair Fares campaign has been given a new breath of life. The Graduate Student Association should be proud of its efforts in Semester One to launch and sustain a public campaign demanding public transport concessions for international and graduate students. The petition campaign we coordinated resulted in over 10,000 students’ and supporters’ signatures that were presented to a representative of the Premier during a successful protest. The petition was the centrepiece of the Fair Fares campaign and gave thousands of students a voice, where previously that voice had been muffled and muted. In the cover letter I wrote with Melbourne University Overseas Students Service (MUOSS) President, Sarah Quek, we spelled out the compelling case for transport concession equality.

Read more...

Download attachment(s): [ Letter to Premier John Brumby about the Concession Card Campaign (PDF format) ] [ Table of eligibility for concession cards by CAPA (PDF format) ] [ Poster for Fair Fares Rally 2 September 2009 ]


The Concession Card Coalition

Posted in: Concession Card Campaign

The Concession Card Coalition is a new campaign group based in Melbourne.
We are university and college students (all students—international, postgraduate, undergraduate, domestic), student unions, international associations and clubs, postgraduate associations, and even peak student bodies (National Union of Students (NUS) and CAPA) who have come together to campaign for public transport concession equality for Victorian students. We demand that the Victorian state government provide full public transport concessions to all postgraduate and international students.

Come to the next Concession Card Coalition (CCC-Vic) campaign organising meeting.
Meetings are held every Monday at 5.30pm at the RMIT University Cafeteria, Building 8, Swanston St campus. All campaign supporters welcome!

Become friends with our Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=94363169677

Subscribe to our email discussion list by sending a blank email to the following address:
CCC-Victoria-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Groups already involved in the CCC:

Graduate Student Association
Federation of Indian Students Australia
Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations
Persatuan Pelajar Indonesia Australia
National Union of Students
Monash Postgraduate Association
La Trobe University Postgraduate Association
University of Melbourne Student Union
Swinburne Student Union
RMIT Student Union
Malaysian Postgraduate Students’ Association
Monash Student Association
La Trobe University SRC




Media Release: Transport Concession Campaign

Posted in: Media Releases, News, Concession Card Campaign
GSA welcomes Universities Australia Call for International Student Transport Concessions

Fair Fares Rally successful - great turnout validates the campaign!

Posted in: Concession Card Campaign, News
"What do we want? - FAIR FARES!! When do we want them - NOW!!"
"Full Fair - NOT FAIR!!"
(Chants from the crowd at the GSA 'Fair Fares' Rally, Wednesday 29/04/09)

Rally on the move
The Fair Fares rally moves towards the city.
Over 250 students and supporters gathered on the steps of state parliament last Wednesday (29/04) to send a loud and vibrant message that Graduate and International students need 'Fair Fares'. Earlier that day graduate students had gathered in front of the Graduate Centre at the University of Melbourne to participate in the associations Annual General Meeting, at which a vote was taken unanimously in support of the GSA campaign.

Download attachment(s): [ Article in Sydney University's Honi Soit Issue 8-09 ]


Support Growing for April 29 ‘Fair Fares’ Rally

Posted in: Concession Card Campaign, Media Releases
Support Growing for April 29 ‘Fair Fares’ Rally

The decision of the GSA and thirteen other organisations to protest at the Victorian State Parliament tomorrow has prompted significant broader support for the aims of the campaign. At a meeting of the Melbourne University Council held last night (27/04), the University Chancellor, the Hon Alex Chernov AO QC, moved the following resolution which was endorsed unanimously:

The Council supports the claim of the Graduate Student Association that the State Government provide to Victorian postgraduate and international students the same public transport concessions that are now made available to domestic undergraduate students.

Today, the University of Melbourne Provost Professor Peter McPhee offered the following words of encouragement and support to student organisations that have been campaigning for transport concession equality:

Download attachment(s): [ Support_grows_for_April_29_rally_28-04-09.pdf ]


Student protest planned for 29 April in Melbourne

Posted in: Concession Card Campaign, Media Releases
Student protest planned for 29 April in Melbourne to redress Public Transport Concession Card inequality
  • 'Fair Fares’ rally wins broad support
  • Letter to Premier sent today: ‘Receive our petition on 29 April’
  • “We’re not giving up this time,” says GSA President Paul Coats
The Graduate Student Association of the University of Melbourne today announced that a sizeable rally and march have been organised for Wednesday 29 April, to demand full public transport concessions for all international and postgraduate students in Victoria.

Download attachment(s): [ Letter_to_the_Honourbale_Premier_John_Brumby.pdf ] [ Rally_Press_Release_27-04-09.pdf ]