Wednesday, 22 March 2023

 Emma KEALY (Lowan) (19:21): (120) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety, and the action that I seek is to provide immediate funding for flashing lights and a reduced speed limit in Taverner Street, Rainbow, near Rainbow primary school. This is an area which has been flagged for some period of time – it is very, very dangerous. There are trucks that come through this area that come from the gypsum pits just north of Rainbow near Albacutya. They come in through town at 60 kilometres per hour. I do not know whether you have seen a fully loaded gypsum truck, but it is quite heavy and it is difficult to pull up. There is great concern. Along Taverner Street there are a lot of potholes through that area as well. It is very difficult for trucks to slow down over that area. The locals have stepped it out – they think that it would make only about a minute’s difference if the speed limit was reduced to 40 kilometres per hour. Having that additional precaution of flashing lights in place would ensure that there is an additional warning during school hours so that the young kids who are crossing the road in that area are safe and protected from these heavy vehicles that are moving through.

I do ask the minister – we have got a budget coming up – that there be money set aside for this important school crossing for the Rainbow primary school to keep those young kids safe and ensure that the entire community, who also access the kindergarten on the other side of the road and who live along Taverner Street in Rainbow, are safe. It is certainly something that would be supported and appreciated by the trucking industry also.