Page 4369 - Week 15 - Tuesday, 19 November 1991
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determination as yet. This is a matter the Government is continuing to consider in relation to the future of that site. It may be that there will be some measure of accommodation there; it may be that it will be elsewhere.
Mr Humphries: The same number of beds?
MR WOOD: I can see that I am going to have to maintain a very close watch on bed capacity now. I must see that it does not slip. I will provide Mr Humphries with some more detail on that when the Government has made its decision.
Calwell Primary School - Traffic Arrangements
MR JENSEN: I did have a question for Mr Wood, but I think my question to Mr Connolly in his capacity as Minister for Urban Services probably has a higher priority. I am sure the Minister is aware of mounting concern about the safety of children going to and from the Calwell Primary School. In view of the fact that a child was struck by a car near the school on Downard Street yesterday - fortunately, no serious injury was caused - can the Minister advise what action will now be taken to resolve the traffic problems in the vicinity of the school, or will it require a tragedy before action is taken to resolve this longstanding problem?
MR CONNOLLY: I was certainly disturbed to hear an initial report that there had been an incident in which a child was struck by a car near that school and relieved to hear that no serious injury had been caused. I have asked the officer in charge of the road safety area of the Department of Urban Services to give me an urgent report on the circumstances surrounding that incident and any remedial action that may or may not be able to be taken.
I have just been handed a note which is a preliminary response to that request. I am told that yesterday a five-year-old girl stepped from behind a truck and was hit in the head by the side mirror of a passing car. The child was dazed but fortunately not seriously injured. The incident occurred in the 40-kilometre zone, that is, the school crossing zone. We understand that the child did not cross where she should have if she was to cross the road in the painted area, taking instead the direct route across the road to get to her mother - which I suppose is an understandable thing for a small child to do.
Last Thursday - before this incident - a meeting took place between the Department of Urban Services and the school principal and, as a result of that meeting, a concrete island will be constructed for the first term of 1992. I stress again that the meeting took place and that decision occurred before this incident. The reason a concrete
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