Nationals Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland has called on the Labor Government to improve the safety conditions surrounding the Colbinabbin Primary School, saying the lack of urgency is putting local children at risk.
The Colbinabbin community has tirelessly advocated for improvements to the safety conditions around the school for the last 12 years – with the Labor Government seemingly uninterested in addressing the issue.
Safety measures being suggested include flashing lights and signage to make the school zone clear, a designated crossing for pedestrians, and safety barriers.
Ms Cleeland has previously raised these concerns with the Minister for Roads and Road Safety, who in 2022 responded indicating that the situation was still being monitored.
This week, Ms Cleeland once again reached out to the Minister, expressing the need for urgency to address this important issue.
With the new Premier’s electorate just down the road, Ms Cleeland said this was an opportunity for Premier Allan to prove that she was genuinely committed to regional Victoria and invest in our children’s safety.
The local community is understandably irate with the lack of substantial progress being made in this time period.
“This Colbinabbin community has been campaigning on this issue for over a decade now,” Ms Cleeland said.
“Local residents have made it very clear to me – this crossing is not safe for their children.
“They have told me of several near misses between the children and the heavy traffic and are rightfully concerned. Local families are so concerned about the crossing that a parent roster has been created to get kids to and from school safely.
“The minister not seeing this as an urgent matter reflects the level of care this Labor Government has for regional towns like Colbinabbin.”
Ms Cleeland has also started a new petition calling on the Government to prioritise an evaluation of pedestrian and vehicle road safety around Colbinabbin Primary School. Ms Cleeland also plans to raise the matter in the next sitting week of Parliament.
The petition can be found on Ms Cleeland’s website at https://www.annabellecleeland.com.au/petitions/
