Page 2221 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 4 August 2015
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A number of Canberra public and non-government schools have implemented supervised pick-ups and drop-offs, and that is making a difference to those schools. That is why, by working with the local school communities, together we can make those precincts safer and, indeed, make sure our kids come and go from school safely.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Ms Porter.
MS PORTER: Minister, how does ACT Policing communicate to school communities to provide awareness and education in relation to road safety?
MS BURCH: I thank Ms Porter for her interest in this area. Police do engage with schools and their communities in a range of ways. Perhaps the most well known of these would be the famous Constable Kenny Koala. Constable Kenny has made 173 visits to schools across the ACT in the 2014-15 financial year to deliver the “stay OK on the road” program in our schools. This program is aligned with the school curriculum and is centred on themes that include using safety equipment such as seat belts and helmets, safe behaviours when walking or riding on or near our roads and road rules for cars and roads.
In term 2 of last year ACT Policing launched a pilot kids in vests program at four Belconnen primary schools, modelled on a Western Australian program, since adopted by South Australia and Victoria. The program issued children with high visibility vests as part of Constable Kenny’s “stay OK on the road” presentation and encourages each and every child to wear the vest when arriving at or departing from school, whatever their means of transport. In addition to the in-schools programs ACT Policing in the last 12 months has used social media to promote road safety campaigns including the school zone targeting strategy and back to school road safety campaign.
ACT Policing has conducted Facebook and Twitter online road safety forums to interact with the community around road safety and traffic laws and enforcement. ACT Policing will continue to use social media to promote road safety campaigns and is currently exploring the inclusion of students and schools in a localised promotion of road safety messages through their own social media pages.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Ms Porter.
MS PORTER: Minister, can you update the Assembly concerning ACT Policing operations in school zones?
MS BURCH: I am more than happy to update the Assembly on ACT Policing operations in our school zones. As I mentioned earlier, I did announce with the Chief Minister and the Chief Police Officer yesterday that ACT Policing will be conducting a blitz on school zones in the coming weeks to make sure that the safety of our school students is in the front of everyone’s mind. While we will have this current blitz, it is important to point out that safety in schools has always been a high priority for ACT Policing and this government, and this will continue.
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