Thursday, 31 October 2024

 David SOUTHWICK (Caulfield) (17:15): (901) Before I raise my adjournment tonight to the Minister for Education, a number of people have raised the tragic events at Auburn South Primary School, and I also want to put on record that my thoughts and best wishes are with those families of that school. It is an absolute tragedy, and our hearts go to all of those families in the spirit that has been demonstrated during the last few days.

It did make me think a little bit, that tragedy, about how important it is to be considering our schools, so my adjournment tonight is specifically to the Minister for Education, and the issue is in relation to a safety issue, particularly an overpass at Glen Eira College, which now has two campuses and has had for a number of years. I have been advocating since 2017 about an overpass or better safety measures at that school. The school is growing in numbers. It will go from 900 to 1200 very shortly with a middle school campus which is going to be located across the road at Booran Road, where there is currently a sports oval and a gymnasium at another precinct. If you have been to this school – and I know the member for Croydon has been to the school and others have been to the school – you will notice that not just during the lunchtime period but during just about every change of lesson time you can get up to 400 kids that are going across the road. It is a very narrow street, and there is not much area for the kids to wait to cross the road. You only have to go out there to see these 400 kids literally crossing.

I have spoken to the Minister for Roads and Road Safety a number of different times through petitions and other things. The minister has allowed for the crossing to have an additional time period. We need more than that. We need a full overpass to ensure safety for these kids. I request that the Minister for Education come out with me, meet with the school and have a look. As I say, it is beyond roads. The minister for roads has done a good job in what they have been able to do with limited capacity. This needs funding. Back in 2017–18 we had the roads department come out, and they said it would cost about $2 million for this overpass. That was a number of years ago. It would cost considerably more now. This cannot come out of the school budget. The school is strapped for cash, particularly with the middle school being developed at the moment. So can I get the Minister for Education to come out with me, meet with Sheereen Kindler and the school and the committee and the board, and let us get this done. Let us get this overpass finally done to ensure safety for all these kids in Glen Eira.