About The Safety Committee

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT FUNDING CAN BE RELEASED TO THE P & C FOR TRAFFIC AND OTHER SAFETY WORKS IF WE HAVE A SAFTEY COMMITTEE!!! So please join us in 2009 if you value your child's safety at and around our school!

GENERAL
We are a small but dedicated group of parents who are interested in the safety of the Jamboree Heights State School students and general community.

We have initiated projects such as bicycle training workshops, Walking School Buses, the 500m challenge and other ideas to try and reduce the amount of cars in the streets around the school and increase the awareness and health of our students.

PROJECTS
In 2006, we decided to be involved in a BCC program called Active School Travel. We had a small group of parent volunteers who trained up to become Walking School Bus Leaders and created one regular Bus that is still travelling today. We also had enough volunteers to make more Buses, but the routes from their houses to the school were not approved as "safe" by the BCC.

But we pressed on with information going to parents about how to use the drop-off zones and where else you can park and walk from, among other projects.

The BCC were so impressed with our efforts that we were awarded winners of the 2006 Active School Travel Program! As a result of this, we received a $90,000.00 grant to go towards making the traffic situation around the school safer.

Unfortunately the only roadworks that were completed were line marking and new signage on Beanland St. So we need to know your opinion on these roadworks to give feedback to the BCC. It's your school and your children, so don't let the opportunity to tell us what you think go by.

We also desperately need general feedback regarding any traffic issue you have seen or experienced in and around the school, as we value safety very highly, and are now working with the BCC and Queensland Government on a long term solution to the problem. Please click here to fill out a short Traffic Survey - you can remain anonymous if you like.

There are also BCC plans to extend the walk/bike way from the end of Loffs Road to the edge of our School Oval. This will allow older children to ride or walk along the path and be picked up from Loffs Road, hopefully easing some congestion around the school. Let us know what you think of these plans, and if you have any other suggestions.

We are also going to start working towards the grand scheme of having Beanland Street link to Loffs Road to offer parents a much needed "block" which they can drive around easily if their child/ren are not waiting to be picked up. The ideal plan would be to join Beanland Street though BCC land (they are also the authority that builds roads) to Loffs Road, with a bridge over the creek. We want it to be a one lane either way road, with provision for bike land and pedestrian access. We also want the plan to include traffic lights at the corner of Loffs and Dandenong Roads. This will remove an extreme traffic hazard that has been present for decades, and that many community groups have petitioned to be fixed. We would also strongly suggest that there be a "local access only" sign put on Patrol Street, as we do not want any more congestion in that street as it is. We want the circuit to work so people can come in to Beanland Street, exit easily and return just as easily if they need to. We feel that an extra exit to Beanland Street is THE only solution to this problem as there are only going to be MORE cars not less.

If you are interested in seeing this project get moving, or have other better suggestions, then please contact us. It will take every resource we have to beat the authorities into submission on this project as it will cost over $2 Million Dollars to complete.

PARKING AND ENTRY TO THE SCHOOL
There is person access to the school from 3 streets and car access from 1 street. With small (or no) two minute zones, Prep parents needing to park and walk in and 3 other centre's or schools for children on the same street, the traffic situation is at an impasse. It is not going to get better without the people creating the traffic taking responsibility for their actions and being part of the solution.

Here are some simple suggestions on how to decrease your share of the traffic congestion around the School, and please read down the page to read more information about the streets mentioned and why we have formulated the suggestions below:

• Park in Emblem St, Gertrude McLeod Crescent or Loffs Road and enjoy a 5 minute walk to School, greet your child and chat to them about their day on the way back. What a great way to avoid road-raging against other drivers, get some exercise, and spend quality time with your child/ren!!
• Organise a car pool with other School parents. If you're lucky, you might only have to drive to School once a week! Please contact us if you want to put your name down for a car pool.
• If you must drive, don't arrive early to pick up your child - they won't be ready!
• Have your older child/ren "pick up" your younger child/ren and agree to meet at a gate at a certain time, such as 3:15 or 3:20 for example.
• Get a bike or scooter and encourage your older child/ren to copy your good behaviour by riding home, instead of your bad behaviour of cursing at other drivers and darting dangerously in and out of traffic.
• Walk your dog to School. Even though Fido can't come into the School Grounds, he will still love to see your child/ren and will relish the fresh air and great smells.
• If its just too far to walk, then consider driving to the Park Village Shopping Centre, walking to School, then picking up some shopping before driving home. If just a few people could do that it would benefit everyone, but particularly you! You would: avoid the traffic chaos, get you and your child healthily to or from school and get your errands done!
• Enroll your child/ren in an after school care service or program, even once a week. The P & C provides the very cost effective OSHC service on School Grounds, and there are other private centre's that pick up from the school as well.

IF YOU CAN DO ANY OF THESE SUGGESTIONS EVEN ONCE A WEEK, IT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE. IF ALL 500 FAMILIES DID ANY OF THESE SUGGESTIONS ONCE A WEEK OR MORE, JHSS PARENTS WOULD NO LONGER BE CONTRIBUTING TO THE TRAFFIC PROBLEMS AROUND THE SCHOOL. WHAT AN AWESOME THOUGHT, AND AN EASILY ACHEIVEABLE GOAL. YOU KNOW YOU CAN DO IT... YOU JUST HAVE TO CARE ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S SAFETY ENOUGH TO ACTUALLY DO IT!!

Please read this additional information about the streets around the School:

• Beanland Street
  • This is the main street access to the School and is a No Through Road.
  • We have a full time Crossing Supervisor at the "zebra" Crossing near the school gates (Please note: it is illegal to keep driving while someone is waiting to cross at a painted crossing. It is also illegal to drive through a crossing while anyone is still on the road.).
  • There are two Kindy/Child Care Centre's and one other Primary School on this street that use the parking, and street around the same times as our children.
  • There are 15-20, variously timed, car parking spaces along the street side opposite the School before the round-a-bout.
  • There are 5-10, variously timed, car parking spaces along the street the same side as the School, in front of the pool.
  • There is a two-car Two Minute Zone in front of the pool gate.
  • There is a 10-15 car Two Minute Zone taking up the street the same side as the School, from the pool gate to the front gate (Please note: YOU CANNOT PARK AND GET OUT OF YOUR CAR IN A TWO MINUTE ZONE. BE FAIR TO OTHER DRIVERS AND DO NOT DO THIS.).
  • There are 5-10, variously timed, car parking spaces along the street the same side as the School, leading up to the traffic lights. These are strictly NO PARKING after 3:00 pm. We would like to request that these spaces be kept for PREP PARENTS ONLY as they must get out of there cars to collect their children.
  • Other correct car behaviours:
    • Please do not turn RIGHT across the traffic on either side of Beanland Street. It blocks up both lands of traffic and is dangerous for the children who cannot watch traffic coming from 3 or more directions.
    • Please do not access the School ground BY CAR directly before or immediately after School Time. There is limited room for driving, and while it may seem there are places to park, these are required by our Visually Impaired children, taxi's, deliveries, emergency vehicles, etc.
    • Please do not double park, especially to let a child into your car. This is not only illegal but severely dangerous to your child. We understand that there is a line up every afternoon to pull into the Two Minute Zone, but please do not encourage your children to run out and dodge the cars to get to yours a few minutes quicker. It could be the last few minutes of their lives.
    • Please do not drive on the wrong side of the road to get out of Beanland Street, particularly if you accelerate when doing it. Any sensible person can see that this is extremely dangerous not only for the occupants of your car, and the car you are likely to hit, but for the child who will one day step out without looking.
• Horizon Drive
  • This is a major road into suburbs like Riverhills and Middle Park.
  • This is a one lane each way road, with bike lanes, bus stops, traffic lights, and School Zones
  • There is a Crossing Supervisor at the "zebra" Crossing near the entrance to Good News Lutheran (Please note: it is illegal to keep driving while someone is waiting to cross at a painted crossing. It is also illegal to drive through a crossing while anyone is still on the road.).
  • There are many car parking spaces on both sides of this road. We urge parents NOT to run their children across the road. This is illegal and highly dangerous. PLEASE take the time to walk your child up to the lights and teach them safety skills of a lifetime.
  • There is a one-car Two Minute Zone right outside the walkway access to the School. The space behind it is A NO STANDING ZONE. We are trying to have this amended as it is a complete waste and many parents would be booked for using their common sense and dropping their children off there as if it were a Two Minute Zone. If you agree, then please contact us and let us know what you think.
  • Other correct car behaviours:
    • Please do not turn RIGHT across the traffic on Horizon Drive; do not park over private driveways; do not turn into public driveways and use them as drop off points; and do not perform U-turns on Horizon Drive, especially using private driveways. It simply blocks up all the traffic and most of those behaviours are illegal, and all of them are discourteous.
    • Please do not double park, especially to let a child into your car. This is not only illegal but severely dangerous to your child. Please do not encourage your children to run out and dodge the cars to get to yours a few minutes quicker. It could be the last few minutes of their lives.
    • Please do not speed down the hill, hitting 60 kph right at the end of the School Zone. It is a School Zone for a reason, and you are using it for a reason. Think of that reason, and SLOW DOWN.
• Patrol Street
  • This is a narrow minor street that has walkway access to our School oval.
  • There is untimed parking in this street, which is mainly utilised by private residents.
  • There is a NO STANDING ZONE right outside the walkway to School. Please DO NOT PARK HERE, OR STOP AND PICK UP YOUR CHILDREN. If you think this should be changed to a Two Minute Zone, please contact us and let us know.
  • Other correct car behaviours:
    • This street turns into a ONE LANE street when cars are parked on both sides. We strongly suggest that you DO NOT park in this street.
    • This street also becomes very dangerous when cars park right on the corners, as other cars turn left from Horizon Drive, and have a hard time not running straight into them
    • PLEASE DO NOT PARK NEAR THE CORNERS OF ANY ROAD AS IT IS ILLEGAL AND DANGEROUS.
    • Please do not park over private driveways; do not turn into public driveways and use them as drop off points; and do not perform U-turns on Patrol Street especially using private driveways. It simply blocks up all the traffic and most of those behaviours are illegal, and all of them are discourteous.
• Emblem Street
  • This is an average minor street that has walkway access to the Horizon Drive traffic lights.
  • There are some timed parking restrictions but enough car parking for more parents to take up this option and enjoy a 2 minute walk to School.
  • Other correct car behaviours:
    • Please do not park over private driveways; do not turn into public driveways and use them as drop off points; and do not perform U-turns on Emblem Street especially using private driveways. It simply blocks up all the traffic and most of those behaviours are illegal, and all of them are discourteous.
    • Please do not turn RIGHT out of Badge Street. This blocks the main exit point as no one else can get out while you are sitting there waiting and waiting.
• Gertrude McLeod Crescent
  • This is an average minor street with no direct access to the School.
  • There are enough car parking for parents to take up this option and enjoy a 5 minute walk to School.
  • Other correct car behaviours:
    • Please do not park over private driveways; do not turn into public driveways and use them as drop off points; and do not perform U-turns on Gertrude McLeod Crescent especially using private driveways. It simply blocks up all the traffic and most of those behaviours are illegal, and all of them are discourteous.
• Loffs Road
  • This is an average minor street that has no direct access to the School.
  • There is another major Child Care Centre on this road, with its own parking.
  • There are enough car parking for more parents to take up this option and enjoy a 5 minute walk to School.
  • Other correct car behaviours:
    • Please do not park over private driveways; do not turn into public driveways and use them as drop off points; and do not perform U-turns on Loffs Road especially using private driveways. It simply blocks up all the traffic and most of those behaviours are illegal, and all of them are discourteous.

If you are interested in helping our tiny team of terrific traffic terriers, please contact us - we are striving for a safe road environment for your children and value their safety... will you?

CONTACTING THE COMMITTEE
Our Safety Committee are contactable as below:

Email: safety@jhss.com.au
Phone: (07) 3725 5666 and leave a message
Or fill in the online contact form.

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