SAFE AT LAST

Pimpama school finally gets crossings

THE State Government is declining to answer questions about why Gold Coast schools are forced to beg to have pedestrian crossings installed.

The Bulletin sent a series of questions to the Main Roads and Education departments at 11.58am yesterday after a primary school in the city’s booming northern suburbs said it was desperate for a crossing to ease safety fears.

Highland Reserve State School in Upper Coomera has been lobbying authorities for the past year. Traffic has increased with the opening of a new road, Highland Way, and the school’s population has ballooned from 100 students to 800 in eight years.

Highland Reserve is at least the third school this year to repeatedly ask the Government for a crossing following campaigns by both Numinbah Valley State School and Pimpama State Primary College.

After Bulletin campaigns, Numinbah Valley State was given extra signage, while a crossing was yesterday opened at Pimpama State Primary College, nearly two months after a student was hit by a ute.

The Bulletin asked the government departments:

• Why is a “school road safety action plan” not in place before a school opens?

• What are the safety standards required in regards to school crossings when a school is first built?

• The Planning for Safe Transport Infrastructure at Schools document suggests that children’s crossings in school zones require crossing supervisors. Would the Government work to make this mandatory in all school zones?

• Why is there no requirement for a school crossing zone to be added once a school population reaches a certain size or when a school is first built?

The Department of Transport and Main Roads, and Department of Education and Training did not respond to the Bulletin’s questions.

Sarah Cabral, P&C President at Highland Reserve State School, said something needed to be put in place – and fast.

“We are working with the stakeholders to try and get something safer in there,” she said. “The P&C are very, very keen to have a crossing.”

Highland Reserve State School principal declined to talk to the Bulletin. However, in a statement online the school administration revealed they met with Government officials last Thursday.

“While this is outside school grounds and something we can’t resolve ourselves, we will continue to promote the need in the hope that the decision makers responsible for crossings commit to a long-term resolution,” the post read.

Area Councillor William Owen-Jones said he supported any requests for crossings from the State Government.

“This school has grown fairly rapidly over the past four to five years and we work with the school all the time to try to improve safety and school crossings,” he said. “The school is waiting for advice from the State Government.”

BULLETIN VIEW P14