By Deanne Jeffers
THE announcement of a new Early Learning Centre at Kialla West Primary School has reignited discussions surrounding safety upgrades and infrastructure demands. The co-located Early Learning Centre, delivered by the State Government, is set to enhance early childhood education services locally but has prompted calls for additional safety measures to accommodate the influx of students and families.
With traffic congestion and safety hazards already a concern at Kialla West Primary School’s drop-off/pick-up points and the nearby pedestrian crossing on the Goulburn Valley Highway, the prospect of increased traffic from the Early Learning Centre raises apprehensions among local residents and officials.
Wendy Lovell, Member for Northern Victoria, voiced her concerns, highlighting the potential risks linked to increased traffic. Recalling the accident involving a school family at the crossing in 2018, Ms Lovell stressed the urgency of proactive measures to ensure the safety of school children and commuters.
“An Early Learning Centre will be a fantastic addition to the Kialla West Primary School but the Government must also invest in safety upgrades to the school crossing and drop off/pick up area to ensure the safety of the school community,” she said, adding that, “It is a disgrace that more than five years have passed since the horrific accident in which a school family were severely injured and still no major work has been done to improve safety at the school crossing.”
Ms Lovell has also raised concerns about the recently unveiled Shepparton South East Precinct Structure Plan, which proposes constructing 2,500 new homes to accommodate over 6,000 residents. The plan includes provisions for a new housing estate, shops, and a primary school along the western side of Doyles Road. Additionally, it entails installing a pedestrian crossing on Doyles Road, which forms part of the Shepparton alternate route for heavy freight vehicles.
Ms Lovell emphasised the potential risks of placing a pedestrian crossing on a major truck route, further underscoring the urgent need for the Shepparton Bypass. She said, “New housing will mean more traffic on Doyles Road, and a pedestrian crossing on the major truck route will be reproducing the same risks that exist at the Kialla West Primary School crossing.”
Ms Lovell welcomed the new housing proposed in the precinct plan but says that the State Government must plan ahead for growth and public safety by starting the bypass now and investing in immediate safety upgrades at Kialla West Primary School.
“Shepparton needs a dedicated bypass that will keep trucks out of the CBD and residential areas, away from kids walking to school, and that will also provide a second river crossing above flood level so that towns west of the Goulburn are never again left cut off from the hospital and other major services based in Shepparton.”
