School hopes raised
Government plans visit to discuss road safety
GOVERNMENT officers will meet with a hinterland principal to discuss installing a 40km school zone after the Bulletin exposed the community's long-running fight for road safety measures.
Days after the story appeared last week, Department of Transport and Main Roads officers called Numinbah Valley State School Principal Warren Greinke and arranged to meet on April 24.
It will be the first time a representative from the department has visited the school.
Parents at the tiny school, which has 17 students, have been begging for more than a decade for safety measures, fearing a pupil would be hit by hooning cars on the busy Nerang Murwillumbah Rd.
“I have been contacted by TMR’s Helen Sheean who has made an appointment for next term to visit the school and discuss the issue,” Mr Greinke said. “She informed me that she will be gathering data around, traffic numbers, accidents in our vicinity, police data related to fines and speeding infringements along with various other data.
“She is looking to visit the school at approximately 3pm to monitor the flow of traffic during pick-up time.”
Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said he had asked his department to meet with school representatives to discuss possible additional safety improvements.
“I look forward to receiving feedback,” he said. “The Palaszczuk Government takes the safety of children on our roads extremely seriously.”
Mother of three pupils at the school, Aimee Hennephof, said it was a positive move which gave hope to the small school community.
“It’s the first time they have come to see us,” she said.
“We can only wait and see how it goes.”