Lakes South Morang Primary School crossing win for petitioners

A campaign by more than 500 concerned parents to get a new children’s crossing at Lakes South Morang Primary School has succeeded.

Whittlesea councillors voted last Tuesday to approve a children’s crossing in front of the Gordons Road school in response to a petition signed by 543 people and spearheaded by the school’s parents association.

Principal Kerrie Heenan said the school community had been concerned about students crossing busy Gordons Road, which carries about 500 cars during school peak times.

Ms Heenan said the decision “was a big win” for the school, which had been without a crossing for six months.

Prior to the opening of the school’s junior campus, a children’s crossing was installed in 2007 on the west side of Gordons Road, about 150 metres from The Lakes Boulevard. Another pedestrian crossing was then installed further up the road in June last year.

After this second, flashing light pedestrian crossing was installed the children’s crossing was removed.

Parents tabled a petition last November with Whittlesea council and an ensuing officers’ report confirmed the need for the second school crossing.

Ms Heenan said the new crossing would be in a better position than the former one as it would link with a shared pathway already used by many pupils.