Mrs SALLY QUINNELL (Camden) (19:38): I wish to speak on the importance of school crossings, an issue that a number of my constituents have raised with me since my election in March and beforehand. The safety of our children should always be our top priority. School crossings play a pivotal role in making sure our children get to school and home safe. School crossings serve as vital intersections where children navigate their way to and from school. They are designed to provide a safe passage for students, allowing them to cross roads without being exposed to the dangers of traffic. However, the sad reality is that many of these crossings either do not exist or suffer from insufficient infrastructure and inadequate funding due to the previous Government's complete oversight of the people of Camden, which puts our kids' safety at risk.
One of the particularly concerning risks of underfunding road safety infrastructure around schools is the increased likelihood of accidents and injuries. Without proper signage, well-maintained crosswalks and effective traffic-calming measures like speed bumps, drivers may fail to recognise school zones or underestimate the presence of young pedestrians. This lack of awareness can lead to devastating consequences, as even a momentary lapse in attention can result in a tragic accident.
Consider Spring Farm Public School or Camden South Public School. For years, parents have been crying out for the former Liberal-Nationals Government to fund much-needed crossings at those schools. And where were they? Why is it that it took an election for the former Government to make piecemeal commitments to provide safe crossings at those schools? The people of Camden knew that they were only being paid lip service by the Liberal‑Nationals Government and that they needed a change. The gross underfunding of critical road safety infrastructure can hinder the implementation of essential safety measures, such as traffic lights, speed bumps or crossing guards. Those measures are crucial in providing a safe environment for children as they travel to and from school. Without them, students as young as four years of age may end up crossing busy roads with distracted drivers exposing them to unnecessary risks.
Furthermore, the absence of adequate road safety infrastructure can have a detrimental impact on the overall community. When parents and caregivers perceive a lack of safety around school crossings, they may choose alternative transportation methods, such as driving their children to school. That not only contributes to increased traffic congestion, further raising the risk for a horrible accident, but also diminishes physical activity among children because walking or cycling to school becomes less viable. The long-term consequences of reduced physical activity in our younger generation in the age of Netflix and iPads cannot be underestimated.
To address those risks, it is imperative that we prioritise allocating funds and resources to road safety infrastructure around schools. That investment should encompass various aspects already discussed, including enhanced signage, well-marked crosswalks, traffic-calming measures and the presence of trained crossing guards. That is why, at the first opportunity possible, the Government will ensure that $1.5 million goes towards school crossings in Camden. I need to be honest with the people of Camden and let them know that it will take some time to get those crossings built and ready to go, but I promise that the money will be there for that. The people of Camden needed the former Government to step up and take the safety and wellbeing of kids seriously. We did not need big announcements or to see local schools on TV; we just needed our kids to get to and from school in one piece. That is what a Minns Labor Government will deliver for the people of Camden.
