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Yet another major skirmish has concluded in the seven-year war between the NSW Government and the Australian Rail Tram and Bus Industry Union (RTBU). This is because the NSW Government has made all of the state’s train trips free from November 21 until November 25.

When making this announcement, the NSW Premier, Dominic Perrottet , said, “Sydney commuters deserve nothing less.”

However, to understand why the NSW Government made this call and what the RTBU has to do with it, we have to go back to September 13.

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September 13: The First Strike

On September 13, the RTBU voiced that they were displeased with how much the NSW Government paid its train staff and the safety standards on some locomotives. To commutate how unsatisfied they were, the union t ried to go directly for the NSW Government’s pockets.

The RTBU wanted to do this by turning off all the train Opal card readers throughout this state. 

“On Sunday night, we notified Sydney Trains and NSW Trains of new industrial actions that will commence from 21 September 2022 and continue indefinitely,” wrote the RTBU’s Secretary, Alex Claassens, in a now-deleted letter to his other members.

“The major action we notified is an action that allows us to deactivate the Opal readers and gates. This will allow commuters to travel around the network for free. If there is no way to tap on or off, then they cannot be fined.”

Additionally, the union’s Transport Officers planned not to give out any fines and cautions from this date onwards. 

“We need to make sure that all gates get switched off and stay off,” stated Claassens. “If anyone comes to your station to switch the opal readers back on, please let us know immediately as this may constitute adverse action.”

September 17: The NSW Government Response

Unsurprisingly, the government weren’t happy chappies with this news. As per The Sydney Morning Herald , David Elliott, the NSW’s Transport Minister, came out of the gate swinging.

“The latest round of action by Alex Claassens and the RTBU, which will see them deliberately delaying work to functioning Opal machines so that they become inoperative, is akin to economic sabotage,” exclaimed Elliott. 

Furthermore, around midnight on September 17 , the NSW Government went for the kill . At 12:16 AM, the government’s lawyers told the RTBU that if any of the state’s Opal gates were to be switched off, then they’d take the union to court. These lawyers said that this piece of industrial action couldn’t proceed because it wasn’t approved by all of the RTBU’s members.

September 20: The Union’s New Timeline

The RTBU has asserted that its original actions were all above board. Nevertheless, they’ve also said that they didn’t want to go to court over this issue. They stated that such a battle in the court of law could “put at risk everything we’ve won so far.”

They later noted, “T he action of turning off the opal machines will now not go ahead on Wednesday. ”

Nevertheless, on September 20 , the RTBU wrote to its members, “We are absolutely still committed to taking this action, just on a slightly amended timeline.”

Therefore, the battle was back on. 

But how did the RTBU fight back? Well, they went to the Fair Work Commission to get a Protected Action Ballot Order (PAB). This ballot made it so the RTBU members could vote on if they’d switch off the train Opal card gates in an airtight manner.

“Once this ballot gets up, our fight continues,” declared the RTBU. 

On September 26 , the RTBU confirmed that they received their PAB from the Fair Work Commission . This ballot opened on October 5 and closed on October 12.

Moreover, the union was rather excited when their PAB became active. “Voting in the latest Protected Action Ballot is now OPEN,” wrote the RTBU to its members on October 5 . “All members should vote YES.”

“Once the PAB is successful, our Opal Gate action will be protected industrial action,” the union explained. “Meaning that it could be an adverse action if the government or Sydney and NSW Trains interfere with the action or threaten RTBU members in any way for taking part in it.” 

October 13: Did the RTBU’s Vote Pass?

On October 13, the RTBU announced the results of the PAB. According to the union, 97% of its members voted in favour of switching off NSW’s Opal card readers.

The RTBU classified this decision as a success. In a statement, they said, “Through all the curveballs thrown at us, our union remains united and is ready to take this action.

On October 14, delegates for the RTBU decided when the union would turn off NSW’s card readers. They determined that this piece of industrial action should start on October 20 and continue indefinitely.

These delegates also decided that the union would only switch off Opal card gates, not Opal card poles. Moreover, they wanted these protests to only take place each weekday afternoon from 3:00pm until 7:00pm.

However, it’s worth noting that the RTBU knew that its plan might not happen.

As the union said, “We think it is important for members to be aware that we are mindful that the NSW Government may still attempt to apply for an injunction in the Federal Court over this action.”

“This is despite our efforts to make sure this action is above board by voting in a new PAB. We do not know if it is a real threat yet, but we need to be ready for the possibility.”

Related: Transport for NSW, Stop Stealing My Money

Related: Here’s a List of all NSW Trains’ Planned Strikes

October 13 & 19: The Government Responds Again

On October 13 , the NSW Government and Elliott voiced their displeasure with the RTBU’s plan to switch off Opal card readers.

“The Opal card readers are taxpayer assets,” said Elliott, “and the unions interfering with wiring and switches to turn them off is both unsafe and ridiculous.”

Moreover, on October 19 , the NSW Government said that they’d take the RTBU to court. Elliott announced that if the union’s gate plan were to occur, he wants the union to be fined a splash of money equal to the amount that the government loses out on.

“It is a fundamental right of a government and a fundamental right of taxpayers to expect their government to receive revenues when it comes to public transport,” he said.

“This action will make sure the taxpayers don’t forfeit revenues they are entitled to receive.”

Important note: The RTBU’s protest wouldn’t have messed with the Opal gates’ wiring. The union would have instead used each station’s red emergency buttons to switch these machines off. This is unlike what Elliot claimed in mid-October.

October 20: The Day the Gates Didn’t Fall

On October 19 , the RTBU said that they called off its Opal gate action in the wake of the NSW Government suing them. 

“ In what is probably a first in the history of Australia, the NSW Government decided to actively sue its own workforce, ” said the union.

“It is bitterly disappointing we have had to pause tomorrow’s planned action which would have delivered free travel for commuters, but we have been left with no choice.”

Additionally, the RTBU has said that if the NSW’s court order is successful, it would do more than force them to pay the government a whack of money. It could also prevent them from ever turning off NSW’s Opal readers again.

“The government has invested serious time and (taxpayer-funded) resources into preparing this application, and it potentially has very serious consequences for our Union. It is something that needs to be taken very seriously,” said the RTBU in a statement. 

However, the RTBU didn’t call it quits. They have said they are still committed to this seven-year war.

The RTBU made an application to the Federal Court for its hearing with the NSW Government to be expedited. The union wanted this court to answer the question: Can they turn off NSW’s Opal gates without being financially liable? They wanted this question answered quickly, once and for all.

October 26: Another Nail in the 2022 Coffin

On October 26, the RTBU confirmed that the Federal Court wouldn’t expedite its hearing against the NSW Government. 

“The application to expedite the case was supported by the government. Unfortunately, yesterday afternoon, the Court ruled that the case will not be expedited and therefore will not be heard until February or March 2023,” said the union in a letter to its members.

“We are disappointed with the Federal Court’s decision not to expedite an urgent hearing on our proposed industrial action to give commuters free travel as we believe it is in the best interests of our hardworking frontline members and the community to have this question resolved as soon as possible.”

In this letter, the RTBU stated they planned to conduct other pieces of industrial action in the wake of not being able to turn off the Opal gates.

“Regardless, it is clear that the only option is to return to the well-trodden path of disruptive industrial action,” said the RTBU.

“Thank you to the members who have been in contact with their delegates regarding actions for the November calendar. We will have this finalised for members by this weekend.”

November 1 — November 18: The Protests Begin

At the beginning of November, the RTBU kept to their word. If they couldn’t provide NSW’s train commuters free trips, they were going to conduct a series of protests. 

These protests included things like not attending meetings, not cleaning stations, and not using certain types of trains. 

On November 21 and 25, two of the month’s biggest train strikes would have taken place. This is because the RTBU was going to refuse to drive 4GT trains on these dates, which would’ve taken a lot of trains out of commission. Everywhere from the T3 Bankstown line to the T7 Olympic Park line would’ve been affected. 

However, the RTBU provided a caveat that would make these strikes go away. As the RTBU said; “During this round of action, we have included a choice for the government. They can give commuters free fares after providing a minimum of 24 hours’ notice to the union, and action will be paused for the duration that fares are free for passengers.”

November 18: The Government Backs Down

A few days before a massive train strike was going to hit the NSW train lines, the NSW Government made every train trip across the state free. They did this in the hopes that the RTBU would keep their promise and call off said strike.

As Perrottet said, “People need to get to work, go to school and go about their normal day without being disrupted by union strike action.”

Furthermore, as previously noted, these free train rides were to last the entire workweek.   

So, what did the RTBU do after learning that the NSW Government was switching off the Opal gates? Well, they cancelled their strike and were very chuffed with this result.

On November 18 , the RTBU said, “RTBU members have today forced the government to provide commuters with free travel for a week. This month of action came off the back of the Government taking us to Court in our effort to provide free fares to commuters through turning off the opal gates. Today we have achieved that outcome.”

“This outcome costs the Government coffers, wins goodwill, and doesn’t cost us a thing. We remain committed to focusing our industrial action on the real enemy here, and not on commuters who continue to suffer from the Government’s transport bungles.”

Why the Heck Did This War Happen in the First Place?

To make a long and dramatic saga short, the RTBU wants the NSW public transport system to be safer. Back in 2015, the government bought some vehicles from South Korea . They were dubbed the New Intercity Fleet. The government also wants to use these trains without a guard onboard. 

The fact that this fleet wouldn’t have a train guard concerned the RTBU. This is because a whack of people fall between the tracks each year and it’s the guard’s job to help them out. 

Ergo, the RTBU wants the New Intercity Fleet to use guards so the service will be lower in risk. This organisation hasn’t backed down on this issue and has been fighting with the government over what should happen for the past seven years. 

Earlier in 2022, the RTBU launched a series of strikes to voice their frustration with said situation. These bits and bobs of industrial action were also done to try and force the NSW Government to yield. 

While switching off the Opal card gates plan went ahead, it’s just a single weapon that the RTBU used in this seven-year long war. Additionally, it isn’t the last one that’s up the union’s sleeve.

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Home Tickets and travel info Tickets and Opal

Opal is your ticket to getting around on public transport.

Keep and reuse it to pay for travel on public transport. Once you have your Opal card, just add value, then tap on and tap off to travel.

If you don’t have an Opal card, you can use a contactless payment card such as an American Express, Visa or Mastercard for the same fare and benefits of an Adult Opal card.

Don’t forget, it is an offence to travel on public transport in NSW without being in possession of a valid ticket. Authorised officers and Transport police regularly check tickets.

Get an Opal card in Newcastle

To get started visit transportnsw.info  to order a card or find an  Opal retailer  in the Newcastle area.

Adult and Child/Youth Opal cards are also available at the  Newcastle Transport Hub  located at the Newcastle Interchange.

Gold Senior/Pensioner and Concession Opal cards are available to order from Opal and contactless payment benefits transportnsw.info  

Opal and contactless payment benefits

There are lots of benefits of using an Opal card, including cheaper fares and daily and weekly fare caps. To learn more visit transportnsw.info

For information about Opal fares visit  transportnsw.info

Concession and eligibility

You may be eligible for a concession fare. For information, visit  transportnsw.info

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• Activating an Opal card
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Opal card for Adult aged 16 years and over, full fares

Child/Youth

Children aged 4 – 15 years are entitled to concession fares on public transport in NSW. 

Eligible secondary students aged 16 years and older also pay concession fares with their proof of entitlement card.

Children aged 3 years and under travel free on public transport.

The School Opal card is for eligible primary and secondary school students and provides free or concession travel on public transport between home and school.

Senior/Pensioner

If you have a Seniors Card or Pensioner Concession Card issued by any Australian state or territory, or NSW War Widower/ers Card, you are entitled to concession fares on public transport in NSW. You are also entitled to concession fares if you’re an eligible asylum seeker. You must carry your proof of entitlement when travelling on a concession fare or you may be fined. 

If you are an eligible NSW tertiary student, apprentice, trainee or jobseeker you are entitled to certain concession fares on public transport in NSW. When travelling on a concession fare, you must carry your proof of entitlement card or you may be fined.

If you have a Vision Impaired Person’s Travel Pass, you  are entitled to free travel on public transport in NSW. Your attendant may also travel free if your Vision Impaired Person’s travel pass is endorsed Plus attendant. Ex defence with service-related disabilities as well as war widows and widowers are also entitled to a range of free or concession travel.

Opal single trip tickets are single-use tickets for ferry trips. You must tap on and tap off when travelling with an Opal single trip ticket

Opal single bus ticket are tickets that you can purchase from the driver on board the bus. Customers do not need to tap on or tap off with Opal single bus ticket. Opal single bus tickets are not available on pre-pay services.

Fare compliance

It is an offence to travel on public transport in NSW without being in possession of a valid ticket.

Newcastle Transport authorised officers are out and about on buses, ferries and light rail. The new team, based here in Newcastle, are ready to help customers. If you see them during your travels, don’t hesitate to ask them for assistance with your journey or ask any public transport questions.

As well as providing travel assistance, they are checking tickets and educating customers about the importance of always travelling with a valid ticket.

If everyone pays the correct fare, it benefits the whole community as money can be spent on extra services and new infrastructure.

Newcastle Transport authorised officers and NSW Police officers are responsible for ensuring ticketing compliance and patrolling public transport. They have the right to ask to see your ticket and concession entitlement at any time. They carry Opal card readers to check your balance, recent transaction history and the card type (e.g. Adult, Senior/Pensioner, Concession or Child/Youth).

You must carry your Concession Card when travelling on a concession fare as proof of entitlement or you may be fined.

Depending on the circumstances, they have the authority to issue an official caution. While this does not require the payment of a penalty notice, your details will be recorded and a penalty notice may be issued if you are found to be committing a similar offence in the future.

If you are caught travelling without a valid ticket, not paying the correct fare or travelling using a concession ticket without being in possession of your proof of entitlement card, you may be issued with a fine of $200 (Maximum $550).

Official cautions and penalty notices are either sent by mail to your residential address, or issued on the spot.

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Free Festive Season Travel For Victorians

The Andrews Labor Government will provide free public transport on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve to make it easier for Victorians to celebrate with family and friends across the state.

On Christmas Day metropolitan and regional public transport will run to a regular Sunday timetable and will be free from 3am Sunday 25 December until 3am on Boxing Day, Monday, 26 December, with Night Network services running through the night. Boxing Day will run to a public holiday timetable.

Passengers using a myki are not required to touch on and off and will not be charged if they do.

Victorians wishing to travel across the city or state to celebrate and welcome in the new year will be able to travel for free on all metropolitan and regional train, tram and bus services from 6pm on Saturday 31 December until 6am on Sunday, 1 January.

Public transport will continue across the metropolitan network all night on New Year’s Eve, ensuring everyone can get back home safely. A normal Saturday public transport timetable will be in place between 6pm and midnight, with additional services after midnight.

Trains will run to a five to 15-minute frequency between midnight and 1:45am, a 30-minute frequency between 1:45am and 2:45am, and every hour from 2:45am. On the tram network, most services will operate all night – running to a five to 15-minute frequency between midnight and 3am, and every 60 minutes from 3am.

Passengers on V/Line services still need to book their Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve travel on reserved services - but will be issued a ticket free of charge.

No ticket is required for regional bus travel.

The 2023 #AllAboard Pride Tram, featuring the first tram design by a Victorian artist from the LGBTIQIA+ community and chosen by public vote, will also hit the network after being formally unveiled next week.

For information and to plan your journey on Christmas or New Year’s Eve visit ptv.vic.gov.au External Link or the PTV mobile app.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport Ben Carroll

“Victorians will be able to travel for free across the state to celebrate with loved ones and public transport is the best way to get around during the festive season.”

“Free travel on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day really makes it easier for people to celebrate with family and friends.”

“Our newly wrapped Yarra Trams #AllAboard Pride Tram with a stunning new mural will bring joy and pride this summer to Melbourne’s tram network.”

Reviewed 11 December 2022

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HOLIDAYS & ACTIVITIES AT OPAL GRAND OCEANFRONT RESORT & SPA

Come Celebrate With Us

There’s always something happening at Opal Grand Oceanfront Resort & Spa. From New Year’s Day through New Year’s Eve, you’ll find an array of holiday happenings and resort activities perfect to plan a special getaway around.

Easter at Opal Grand 2024

Ring in Spring with Easter Brunch at Opal Grand Oceanfront Resort & Spa. Join us as we serve an Easter Day Brunch Buffet in our ballroom, as well as a prix fixe menu at Drift. We’ll also have fun Easter activities throughout the weekend and an Easter Egg Hunt.

Easter Dining

• Easter Brunch Buffet | Seacrest Ballroom | 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
• Easter Prix Fixe Dinner | Drift | 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Waves Kids Club: Easter themed activities & movies. March 29 – March 30: 5:00pm – 9:00pm
• Easter Sunday: Easter Bunny visit, face painting & Easter egg hunt – March 31: 11:30am – 3:30pm

Mother’s Day at Opal Grand 2024

Celebrate Mom with a special Mother’s Day Brunch at Opal Grand! We’ll have unlimited Mimosas, dessert stations and much more!

Mother’s Day Dining Hours

• 11:00 am – 3:00 pm

Thanksgiving at Opal Grand 2023

We invite you and your family to join us for a most special and memorable holiday! We’ll be serving a Thanksgiving Day Brunch Buffet in our ballroom, as well as a prix fixe menu at Drift.

Call 561.274.3200 to reserve a table for brunch.

Thanksgiving Dining Hours

• 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm

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Child and youth

Get a Child/Youth Opal card

Children aged 4 to 15 years are entitled to concession fares

Transport Concession Entitlement Card

Proof of eligibility for students 16 years and over or proof of age for students under 16 years.

School travel

Primary and secondary students may also be entitled to free or subsidised travel to and from school

booking Ticket options

• Children aged 3 years and under travel free on public transport in NSW.
• Children aged 4 - 15 years are entitled to concession fares.
• Fulltime students aged 16 years and older holding a Transport Concession Entitlement Card also pay concession fares.
• Primary and secondary students in NSW may also be entitled to free or subsidised travel to and from school .

opal Sydney and surrounding areas

Child/Youth Opal cards are for:

• children aged 4-15, or
• full time older students holding a Transport Concession Entitlement Card.

If you do not have an Opal card, you can purchase Child/Youth Opal single tickets .

If you are a secondary student aged 16 years and over, you must have your Transport Concession Entitlement Card with you as proof of entitlement, otherwise you will need to pay for and travel with an Adult fare. If not, you may be fined for travelling on an invalid ticket .

How to get your Child/Youth Opal card

• Over the counter from retailers . Present your Transport Concession Entitlement Card if required.
• Order on the Opal website .

Using an Opal card provides you with a range of travel benefits .

Find out more about Opal terms of use .

Airport train station access fee

The Concession Sydney Airport station access fee applies to:

• children aged 4–15 years
• eligible secondary students with a Transport Concession Entitlement Card.

regional-train coach Regional NSW

Regional trains and coaches.

Children aged 4-15 years and secondary school students with a NSW or Victorian school pupil identification card are entitled to discounted fares on Regional trains and coaches . Find out more about child and family fares .

Local services in rural and regional NSW

Privately owned and operated services in rural and regional NSW may offer concessions to children and students at their own discretion. Check with your local transport operator before you travel.

about Transport Concession Entitlement Card

The Transport Concession Entitlement Card is issued free of charge.

If you’re continuing to year 12, the card will be valid until 31 March the following year unless you enter full-time employment. Proof of age cards expire when you turn 16.

Eligibility, how to apply and replacement cards

To be eligible, you must meet one of the following criteria:

• Enrolled in a NSW or ACT secondary school or non-government secondary school.
• Registered with the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) as a full-time home-schooled or distance education (OTEN) secondary student.
• An International school student who meets the criteria.

To apply, contact your school or educational institution.

For replacement cards, complete the Secondary Student Transport Concession Card replacement form (pdf 263KB) . Upload and submit your completed application and any supporting documents online via the Concessions application form .

Applications for NSW/ACT students out of school term or home-schooled students

For a Transport Concession Entitlement Card, NSW/ACT students out of school term or home-schooled students can complete the Home Schooled Concession Application Form (pdf 274KB) .

Individual applications can also be made during school holiday periods or if you are home-schooled.

Applications must be accompanied by proof of identity, age and the name of the school attended or, if home-schooled, a copy of the Certificate of Registration issued by the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) showing the year of study and course.

Be sure to prepare a photocopy or scan of any required supporting documents outlined in the form.

Upload and submit your completed application form and any supporting documents online via the Concessions application form .

Proof of age

Children aged between 4 to 15 years do not require any proof of entitlement for concession travel. However if you look more mature, you can apply for a Transport Concession Entitlement Card to verify to transport staff that you are under 16 years old.

How to apply

• Contact your school or educational institution.
• For replacement cards, contact your school or educational institution. A replacement fee may apply.

Conditions of use

Transport concession entitlement card for school students - conditions of use.

These apply to Senior Secondary Students, Mature Secondary Students, Proof of Age, Distance Education Students and Home School Students:

• The concession entitlement is not transferrable and may only be used by the student named on the card.
• The card is valid only when showing all holder details, school information and expiry date.
• The card is rendered invalid by alteration, erasure or damage.
• The card must always be carried when you travel on a concession fare. It must be produced when purchasing tickets or as requested by authorised officers or Police. If you fail to produce your card you may be fined.
• Improper use of the card may result in confiscation and forfeiture of future NSW travel entitlements.

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