Tuesday, 19 March 2024

St Bede’s College, Mentone

Brad ROWSWELL (Sandringham) (19:10): (585) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety, and the action that I seek is that the minister extends the existing 40-kilometre school zone to Warrigal Road on Beach Road to ensure the safety of St Bede’s College students crossing Beach Road. The reason why I have raised this adjournment matter this evening is because St Bede’s College, my alma mater, is in my electorate and runs along Beach Road in Mentone. It is a very busy main road. The speed zone directly in front of the school has remained at 60 kilometres an hour. Even during the school drop-off and pick-up times, it still remains 60 kilometres an hour. Just 250 metres along Beach Road is Mentone Girls’ Grammar. They have been able to ensure a 40-kilometre zone just 250 metres down Beach Road in front of Mentone Girls’ Grammar, but that zone has not been extended further up Beach Road to include St Bede’s College. That is why I am asking the government to do the sensible thing by St Bede’s College and to extend the existing zone up to Warrigal Road to capture St Bede’s as well.

Just last year a student at St Bede’s was struck by a car on Beach Road outside of the school and was badly injured. This year another St Bede’s student was forced off their bike by a car. The St Bede’s College community and the community in and around that area want the 40-kilometre speed zone to include St Bede’s College on Beach Road, and I am fully supportive of that.

I understand that one of the deputy principals at the college has reached out to the responsible department, the Department of Transport and Planning, and has been told, perhaps informally, that there is no dough to pay for this extension of the existing zone. That deputy principal has also reached out to the local council and the local traffic police as well, who I believe to be all supportive of this very sensible proposal. I encourage the minister to do the right thing by students at St Bede’s College. The minister received a letter from me just a couple of weeks ago in relation to this issue. It is an issue that would improve safety in my community and improve the safety of those students crossing Beach Road at St Bede’s College, and I would urge the government to take this absolutely seriously.