In the 1980s, students from Victoria were not eligible for concession fares
in SA. I don't know how widespread the lack of cooperation was, and if the
system has changed now that there is reciprocity on seniors fares.
I will be eligible for senior fares in many overseas countries, simply as a
tourist, when I turn 65.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

From Tues.22.11.11 Melbourne 'Age'
www.theage.com.au/victoria/push-for-foreign-student-fare-deal-20111121-1nqyh
..html

Push for foreign student fare deal
The Gillard government is applying pressure to Victoria to extend transport
concessions to international students.
Victoria and NSW are the only Australian states to deny transport
concessions to international students, despite being the greatest
beneficiaries of the international education industry, which nationally was
worth more than $16 billion last financial year.
It is Victoria's largest export, generating almost $5 billion last financial
year. Only NSW profited more from the trade, netting almost $6 billion over
the same period.
A spokesman for the Federal Minister for Tertiary Education, Chris Evans,
last night said the policies of the two states squeezed international
students' budgets and harmed their safety.
''We would be in a much stronger position internationally if we could market
the fact that all international students coming to Australia were eligible
to access concessional public transport while studying here,'' the spokesman
said.
''All other states and territories have seen the benefits of extending
transport concessions to international students. I'd like to see New South
Wales and Victoria come on board. We can't project a unified 'Brand
Australia' position on this issue without support from those two states,''
he said.
In a response to a Senate inquiry on international student welfare tabled in
Parliament yesterday, the Gillard government promised to push the two states
on the issue.
The federal government made private representations to Victoria and NSW on
the issue in 2008, but did not publicly criticise the two states while Labor
administrations were in place there. It has taken a more aggressive stance
since Coalition governments took office.
The Victorian Minister responsible for international students, Louise Asher,
said the government had considered introducing transport concessions for
international students, but had no plans to do so.