Tuesday, 21 March 2023

Melbourne Indigenous Transition School pedestrian crossing

Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (17:07): (113) I am seeking action from the Minister for Roads and Road Safety, and the action I seek is the investigation of a pedestrian school crossing on Church Street between Swan Street and the Vaucluse in Richmond. I had the great pleasure of visiting the Melbourne Indigenous Transition School, MITS, in my electorate in Richmond and meeting with Paul Barcham and Edward Tudor. The MITS is a year 7 and 8 transition school for Indigenous students from remote and regional communities in the Northern Territory and Victoria. It is a specialist boarding school that delivers tailored year 7 and 8 programs to several dozen students a year. MITS is located within the Richmond Football Club at Punt Road Oval, and their boarding house is a short walk away on Richmond Hill. From year 9 onwards the students go on to study with MITS partner schools, which are well-reputed schools in the independent, government and Catholic sectors.

MITS achieves extraordinary outcomes for their students, with excellent retention numbers and attendance rates. Continuing their incredible work, they have a new 40-student boarding house funded by the former federal coalition government opening later this year on Church Street, opposite their school facilities. I think everyone would agree with my belief that the safety and wellbeing of what are in many ways vulnerable students is incredibly important and is an imperative, and specifically so by extension is making sure that they can get from their school to their place of residence as safely, quickly and conveniently as possible. It is incredibly important. However, this might not be the case. The students will be residing in this new boarding house and will have to walk several hundred metres to the Vaucluse or to Swan Street to safely cross Church Street, and those familiar with Church Street – within the tram tracks; sorry, Bev – know how busy and congested Church Street can get with both cars and trams. MITS has continuously requested a pedestrian school crossing on Church Street between Swan Street and the Vaucluse, only to be ignored by the department of transport.

If this was a government school being set up there, a pedestrian crossing would be considered a priority on this state government road. Student safety is of great importance. It can never be understated for any child or school, but especially in this case for these young Indigenous students. I seek the action of the minister to investigate a pedestrian school crossing. I also invite her to come with me to the Melbourne Indigenous Transition School to see the great work it does and the high-priority need for a pedestrian crossing.