Sleep bus project on a knife edge: Committee for Ballarat

THE future of Ballarat’s sleepbus project is uncertain, with the charity behind it to be wound up on 30 June and the bus a long way from being ready for delivery.

The community has raised $145,000 to pay for the overhaul of a bus donated by Ventura Bus Lines, which itself is worth $20,000.

But according to the Committee for Ballarat, which is managing the project, Sleep Bus founder and director Simon Rowe has asked for a further $15,000 to complete the fit-out and will not allow the bus to be brought to Ballarat from his Sunbury workshop for completion.

Committee CEO Michael Poulton said the organisation now has grave doubts about the project’s future.

“In January we were notified that the Sleep Bus operation will be winding up on 30 June,” Mr Poulton said, adding the announcement was made via a Facebook post.

“Mr Rowe has since requested a further $15,000 to complete the bus, and has stipulated that we must now find a willing organisation to manage its operations (Sleep Bus was originally to manage it for two years).

“Needless to say, we are very concerned by this news and are investigating what this means for the project.

“We will not be making or proposing any further donations to Sleep Bus unless and until appropriate guarantees can be put in place to secure the project for Ballarat.”

Mr Rowe did not respond to a request for an interview.

The project began in 2022 and was driven by a project team from the committee’s Future Shapers community leadership program. A bus was originally supposed to be in operation here by the end of 2023.

Sleep Bus is a registered charity and operates buses providing safe overnight accommodation for homeless people in several areas of Australia.

Mr Poulton said there is “no appetite” to find the $15,000.

“Our primary objective at this stage … is to get the bus back here in Ballarat – in whatever state that is,” he said.

Mr Poulton said the committee is also prepared to complete the fit-out itself.

“On the photographic evidence that we’ve seen, there is still a significant amount of work to be done to get it operational,” he said.

Mr Poulton said the issue “casts a shadow” over the generosity of Ballarat people.

“And it certainly does very little for trust-based philanthropy or compassionate donation-giving,” he said.

“People gave money in good faith because they were convinced that this was something that could be delivered.

“There has certainly been a lack of capability by Sleep Bus to deliver on its promises.

“Our priority remains that we want to get the bus back to Ballarat so it can be operational and provide sleep spaces for people in crisis – that is our objective.”