On Tuesday 28 November, I attended a Marion Council Meeting to present to council information about the traffic, parking, and safety concerns we experience around Woodend School. My 5 minute presentation was focused, first and foremost, on the safety of the children coming to and from school and I touched on the primary concerns that our community have raised as well as a need for us to work together as a community to solve our problems, with safety being our number one priority, particularly as our school and this area continue to grow.

Marion council voted in favour of a resolution that would see us work together in partnership to explore solutions to our problems. Thank you to Ward Councillors Janet Byram and Nick Westwood for moving and seconding this resolution, as well as Marion Council staff for your consultation and communication with Governing Council.

Moving forwards, with our partnership we will aim to explore options for a safe and effective pick up/drop off zone, clear signage for parking and traffic, creating safe routes to school for walking and riding, and/or other creative solutions we can find to address the problems we face.

From 2018, Woodend Governing Council will create a Traffic & Safety Committee to continue the work we have started and to work in partnership with Marion Council, with the Way 2 Go foundation, with the school community and the communities of Sheidow Park and Trott Park, and with other stakeholders involved in this issue.

If this is a topic that you are interested in, passionate about, or keen to support at Woodend, we would love to have you on board this committee. Email wpsgoverningcouncil@gmail.com to express your interest and we will be in contact in the new year.

If you have suggestions, ideas, or feedback that you would like to submit to the Traffic & Safety Committee please feel free to add your comments in the form below.

Thank you to Governing Council and the Way 2 Go task force for the work you have been doing on this issue – traffic & safety has been a hot topic for number of years and we thank you for your efforts in this area. Particular thanks go out to Kym Sard and Steve Freeman for your support with the Marion Council deputation.

Karen Gunton
Governing Council Chairperson