Tuesday, 13 August 2024

Epsom Primary School

Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (18:52): (1045) My adjournment matter is for the Premier because it concerns the safety of a school drop-off and pick-up zone in her own electorate but is also something that will require the action of more than one department. The action that I seek is for the Premier to take all steps necessary to ensure that the Epsom Primary School has a safe and fit-for-purpose pick-up and drop-off zone. Parents of children who attend the Epsom Primary School in the Premier’s own electorate are worried about the chaotic and dangerous scenes that occur every morning and afternoon as hundreds of cars crowd into Howard Street to deliver their precious children to school.

The safety issues at Epsom Primary on Howard Street have been known about for a long time. In fact 24 years ago, on 5 April 2000, the member for Bendigo East, Premier Jacinta Allan, spoke in Parliament about the problems with traffic around the school. She noted the great volume of traffic and that there was only one main entry and exit point. She also recounted how she personally witnessed a number of illegal U-turns across double lines while parents were trying to cross the road. You would think that the member for Bendigo East would make sure that a school in her own electorate would have the funding and support to upgrade a pick-up and drop-off zone to a safe standard. But Labor have been in government for 20 of the 24 years since Jacinta Allan complained about safety at Epsom Primary School, and the problems that the Premier outlined back then have still not been resolved because Labor just does not care. Over those 24 years the issues have only become worse.

In 2011 the population of Epsom and Huntly was only 4100, and it has now more than doubled to 8600. In 2009 Epsom Primary School had only 90 to 100 students, but now there are almost 500 enrolments. A nearby sportsground on the corner of Howard Street and the Midland Highway has been turned into the bustling Epsom Village shopping centre, increasing traffic along Howard Street, which was already struggling with congestion. Enrolments are up, traffic is up, incidents are up, but the action by the government is not going up. There have been collisions near the school, and children have been injured in accidents on Howard Street.

The nearby intersection of Howard Street and the Midland Highway has just been named the most dangerous intersection in Victoria, but what does not make the news are all the near misses that parents say occur regularly throughout the week. It is just a matter of time before something tragic happens. The school council has a solution to the problem which would involve the state government acquiring land next to the school. I urge the Premier to pay attention to the pleas of the school and parents and assist them in securing land and funding for an upgrade to the Epsom Primary School pick-up and drop-off zone to ensure the safety of the students and the school community.