RATIONALE

1. The Metropolitan East School Sport Board has a responsibility to ensure safe, efficient and cost-effective travel, as part of its duty of care, when coordinating the travel arrangements for all regional teams attending state championships.

POLICY

1. The Regional Sports Officer will coordinate all transportation arrangements, including costs, in accordance with the state purchasing policy.

2. When the arrival destination is Mackay or further north or when special circumstances prevail, all Metropolitan East teams travel will be by plane, if possible.

3. It is compulsory that all teams travel to state championships by the transport arranged unless exceptional circumstances exist and are approved by the Metropolitan East Sport Board.

4. Permission may be granted upon receipt of a written request for a student to return home from a state championship with a parent. Such arrangements shall not necessarily alter the transportation component of the levy.

5. Approval may be granted by the Regional Sports Officer for individual travel arrangements to state championships held in Metropolitan East, Metropolitan West, Metropolitan North, South Coast, Sunshine Coast and Darling Downs Regions.

6. Departure times to and from all state championships must minimise the amount of school time lost by the students and teachers.

7. Where no transport is provided for the Regional Team Officials to attend a state championship, a kilometric allowance, calculated by the Regional Sports Officer, will be provided.  This allowance will be made payable to one official (where two officials are appointed) or more as approved by the Regional Sports Officer, for the use of the official's own motor vehicle.

PROCEDURES

1. The Regional Sports Officer, in determining the transportation arrangements, will take into account:

1.2. the cost of fares

1.3. efficient use of time (school time missed by students and teachers to be minimised)

1.4. the welfare of the athlete

2. Claims for exception to the travel policy must be made in writing to the Regional Sports Officer for consideration by the Metropolitan East Sport Board.

3. Students are required to remain with the regional team until the conclusion of the intrastate activity. This may be varied with the approval of the team manager/s.

4. No team member is permitted to drive another student to or from a venue, or during a championship.

5. Team Officials must complete and return "Form D11 Use of a Private Motor Vehicle" to be eligible for the allowance.