Mrs SALLY QUINNELL (Camden) (20:51): I speak about an issue that is paramount to families in my electorate. For years kids have been unable to walk to school safely due to schools being built without school crossings. Only now do we have a government willing to invest in school crossings, encouraging children to walk to school. The evidence is very clear that walking to school offers numerous benefits for a child and can improve performance at school. Walking to school promotes physical activity and encourages independence as children learn to navigate their environment safely. Walking to school can enhance social skills and take cars off the road, reducing traffic congestion on local roads. Walking or riding a bike to school have been linked to improved concentration and attention span, helping students throughout the school day.
Investing in safe school crossings is a no-brainer to help students commute to school, and I am proud that the Minns Labor Government understands that and is investing $1½ million towards upgrading school crossings in the Camden electorate. The previous Government did not invest in adequate infrastructure across south‑west Sydney. I have mentioned that before but it should be said again. The former Government was committed to privatisation by stealth, forcing parents to send their kids to private schools because no public schools exist where the families live. In no places is that more obvious than Gregory Hills and Gledswood Hills. Over recent decades, the population of the area has significantly increased, but no public high school was built. This Government and the education Minister have got on with the job of building a new public high school for the area, which will be open on day one, term 1, 2027.
My electorate contains schools without school crossings, leaving students who live just a couple of streets from their school needing to be driven because it is too dangerous to cross the road. Those obstacles create unnecessary travel time for families and increase traffic congestion on the roads. Data shows that only 25 per cent of schoolchildren in New South Wales currently walk or ride to school, which is down significantly from the 75 per cent who did so 40 years ago.
I am pleased to see that the Government has announced $10 million in funding to encourage schoolchildren to walk or ride to and from school. The money will go towards widening footpaths, upgrading and improving safety at existing crossings, and planting trees to create shade in areas around schools. That is especially important in areas of south-west and Western Sydney, which we know traditionally get hotter than eastern Sydney. There is no sea breeze and, during the day, especially when students are walking home from school, it is not unheard of for temperatures to get to between 40 and 50 degrees Celsius.
It is so important for all schools to provide a variety of options for students to travel to school, be it public transport, being dropped off, riding a bike or walking. It is vitally important that every new school built has safe transportation access for all students, including safe school crossings at every school. I once again thank the Minister for Roads, the Minister for Transport and the Minister for Education and Early Learning for making this issue a priority across the State and especially in Camden.
