Page 35 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 7 April 1992
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I know that this is an issue that is of concern to members. Ms Ellis has raised this with me privately. I know that Mr Cornwell is aware of that. I have been giving this matter close attention, as have my officers. We have had a series of meetings with the parents and citizens and the school principal. The school principal met, on both 18 March and 26 March, with the officers of my department.
The simple and cheap response of putting in a school crossing, which would have been cheaper than the safety devices we installed, is, on all the expert advice given to me, not an appropriate response. The point at which children cross the road is on a crest. A school crossing, although it may look good and it would certainly be cheap and would satisfy a couple of very vocal parents, is not, on the best advice given to me, the safest solution.
The best solution and safest solution, on the advice given to me by the experts, who have been castigated by the Valley View, is the situation currently in place - that is, islands. We are taking action on parking. I have directed parking inspectors to patrol that area. Parking inspectors generally concentrate on the inner city areas and the town centres. I have directed parking inspectors to operate in that area. Mr Wood's department is cooperating with Public Works in relation to the provision of a bus lay-by facility there, to make the matter safer.
Throughout this issue we have been cooperating fully with the school principal and the parents and citizens association. I have in my possession, Madam Speaker, and will table, a letter from the president of the Calwell Primary School Parents and Citizens Association, dated 27 March, which is directed to an officer of my department, one of those officers castigated in the front page editorial of today's Valley View - a most ill-informed editorial. This letter to my officer says:
Dear Bob,
On behalf of the Calwell Primary School P&C Association Inc. I would like to thank your section, particularly Rita Cantwell -
another named officer -
for the time and effort given to ensure our children are both confident and most importantly safe, when crossing the streets around the school.
From comments made by both parents and children the program was very successful. We feel that through continuing cooperation between parents, children and road safety officers we will make our school roads safer for our children.
Would you please pass our thanks on to Rita.
So, here is the president of the P and C publicly thanking officers of my department for the program that has been undertaken. We have repeatedly said to the school council that we will cooperate with any additional measures they want.
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