General News
6 May, 2025
School safety forum
School crossings are usually very busy at drop-off and pick-up times each day, and safety is always the priority for excited children eager to get into and out of school at the end of the day.
Mr John Flynn (Jack) is concerned about insufficient parking at the Horsham West Primary School, and he has developed a proposal that he believes could not only solve the issue but also allow for improved safety measures and school expansion.
"During drop-off and pick-up times, parents have to park in surrounding streets due to the lack of parking on or near the school boundary," he said.
"Residents are also inconvenienced by the traffic, and I think there needs to be a car park provided off the street."
His concern led to action and he began sending emails to councillors and members of parliament.
His concerns sparked some action, and this Tuesday, Horsham Rural City Council will hold a Listening Post at the school beginning at 6pm and finishing at around 7.30pm to hear from Mr Flynn and others about how to address the issue.
Mr Flynn acknowledged that there had been some improvements made in recent months, but the plan to fence off a section of the adjoining paddock on the west boundary has remained shelved, and he'd like to see more action soon.
He will share his proposal at the meeting.
It will involve purchasing some of the nearby land under development, creating a car park, a green space, and some room for the school to expand.
The inclusion of a meeting place and playground in his plan would provide for growth, keeping in mind that the adjoining development will almost certainly bring more families to the region and the school.
He would also like HRCC to build a Bus Hub as well.
He hopes the Listening Post will be well attended and people will be comfortable sharing their ideas too.
He believes some of the traffic issues affecting residents would be addressed with these changes too.
The Listening Post is on Tuesday, May 6 at the Horsham West Primary School and will begin at 6pm.
For further information, please call Cr Cam McDonald on 0408 884 040 or Lucy deWit on 5382 9724