Local wool features in school bus seats for traceability win

Rodney McErvale's family has been involved in the ownership of the school bus for more than 40 years and under Victorian government regulations it has to be replaced every 18 years.

When he put the order in for the new bus two and a half years ago, Mr McErvale's mind immediately went to whether he could get wool from his own sheep onto the seats.

While the legwork required might have seen some cast the project into the too hard basket, the McErvale family, who also own yarn business Yalong Yarns and woollen blanket and garment business Leroy Mac Designs, persisted and saw the dream come true this year.

"It's been a testament of love," Mr McErvale said.

"It all seemed too hard a couple of times but it happened in the end and we're more than thrilled with the results.

"We just got the fabric in time, so it took us the same amount of time to make fabric happen.

'We had to find a seat manufacturer that would allow us to supply our own fabric but then we had to find out if we could make it and find out if we could get it woven and if it could be spun to the woven specifications."

Ultimately the automative fabric was fully made in Victoria, with involvement from Schneiders, Bendigo Woollen Mills, Loomtex, Wangaratta Woollen Mills, Australian Foam Laminators and McConnell Seats, using 18.3 micron wool blended with nylon to make it stronger.

The McErvales believe their innovation is the world first's bus with full traceability of the fabric used for the seats, even travelling past the farm the wool originated from every day.

Mr McErvale said he would love to see more wool used on school buses due to its natural fire resistance, but it would take regulations around fabrics to make it happen.

"If that bus was a Met bus doing a town run in Victoria, 75 per cent of that body has to be made in Australia, but because it's a school bus they don't care," he said.

"And if it was made in NSW or Queensland those seats would have to be flame retardant, but because that school bus is for a Victoria school, they don't care.

"Money comes down to the end of it though, so unless the government make it mandatory to put in a flame retardant product, the change won't happen."

Mr McErvale said they were extremely proud of the quality of the product and to be able to share its traceability story.

"We never got the fabric tested for durability [because of expense]... but the guys who weaved it said it would wear just as good as any," he said.

"It is just beautiful, it's ideal to clean and it's nice and cool even with the sun coming through the window.

"If you were a long haul charter business you'd seriously have to look at putting woollen seats in just for the comfort and the warmth of them in the winter and the coolness in the summer."