VIC Conveyance allowance question for travel to/from school

[Pandora]

Does anyone know about conveyance allowance from non govt school???

I hope someone can help me with this one.
DS will most likely be going to an independant school next year. The school runs its own extensive bus service at a significatn discount because the conyeyance allowance we'd get from the govt goes to them (which is fine)

But its the eligibility for conveyance allowance that Im having trouble working out.

Here are the criteria:

Conveyance Allowance

To Be eligible to receive a Conveyance Allowance, a
student must:

- be aged between five years (by 30 April in the year that the allowance is sought) and twenty-one years

- live more than 4.8km by the shortest practicable route from the nearest school attended, or 4.8 km
radial distance from the nearest school attended in the cities of Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong

- be enrolled at the nearest government primary or secondary school, or at the nearest appropriate
registered non-government school having regard to the following factors:

a) A student is ineligible for a conveyance allowance if there is a nearer denominational school of the same denomination as the school attended. Multi/inter denominational schools established under the direct auspices of a group of churches will be considered as denominational schools of each church

b) A student cannot claim a conveyance allowance if there is a nearer multi/inter denominational or

Christian school than the multi/inter denominational or Christian school attended

c) A student cannot claim a conveyance allowance if there is a nearer non-denominational school than the non-denominational school attended.

So Im really confused.

The school Im looking at is by no means the closest non govt school, but all the others that are closer are Catholic (though some describe themselves as non-denominational, they are Catholic schools and run Catholic RE curriculum, or Lutheran.

The school we are looking at is listed as 'Ecumenical Christian'

So Im not sure whether the CAtholic and Lutheran school being closer will make us ineligible for conveyance allowance. I dont think they should be able to becuase they should come under clause a) above and be considered denominational to the Catholic and Lutheran Church respectively.

However I know some Catholic schools list themselves as "Catholic non denominational', and Im worried that in that case it would make us ineligible for conveyance allowance.

Its a huge difference and may mean we cant send him to this school if we dont qualify.

The school seemed to think it wouldnt be an issue, thought they did not direclty say so - but that was before the Catholic primary school opened 5 streets away