Few things matter more than the everyday safety of our children. For families at Cartwright Public School this is not an abstract concern but a pressing daily reality. Visit Willan Drive during school pick-up or drop-off, and it is nothing short of chaos. Speeding cars, poor visibility, illegal parking and young children combine into a dangerous mix. The risks are made worse by the absence of a school crossing guard. At present, all that students, staff and parents can rely on is a children's crossing. This crossing is awkwardly located near the intersection of Willan Drive and Fassifern Place. Because it sits completely level with the road, it lacks any self-enforcing safety design. Its effectiveness depends entirely on the goodwill of drivers. This problem is not new. In 2018, children at Cartwright Public School raised road safety concerns through the 2168 Children's Parliament. Seven years later, progress has been minimal. Now the 2025 cohort of the 2168 Children's Parliament has again taken up this important cause.
I have previously spoken about Qamar Abbas, who has been leading the campaign alongside me to demand stronger protections for Cartwright students. As part of this campaign, a survey was undertaken with stage 3 students and school staff to better capture their concerns. Approximately 124 students and 16 teachers responded, and the results were alarming. More than three-quarters of respondents reported speeding cars, while nearly nine in 10 raised concerns about the lack of adult supervision at the crossing. The words of the students themselves are deeply troubling. One child wrote:
Cars make me feel unsafe. When cars come near us and we don't see them, but they just see us, they get very close, and sometimes my heart drops.
Teachers share this concern. One said:
We shouldn't have to wait for a more serious or even fatal incident before taking action to improve safety around the school. Traffic has increased on both Willan Drive and Cartwright Avenue, leading to major congestion, poor visibility, and growing safety concerns for students, families and staff.
When asked what improvements were most needed, the responses were emphatic. Almost 90 per cent of students and staff called for a school crossing guard. Cartwright Public School is the only school in the 2168 postcode without one, despite clear risks and the presence of six support unit classes, where the needs of students compound other safety challenges. The school has been seeking a crossing guard for many years. I acknowledge Principal Liz Harris, who has consistently applied each year, refusing to be discouraged by repeated rejections. According to the Transport for NSW website, eligibility for a crossing guard depends on strict criteria.
Cartwright meets several of these: It has an existing children's crossing, it sits within a 40 kilometre per hour school zone and it is used by primary school children. Yet the school is assessed as falling just short of two benchmarks: 50 unaccompanied children using the crossing during peak times or 300 or more passenger car units at those same times. A school must meet one of these thresholds to qualify. Criteria matter, but they must not overshadow the lived reality of this school community. They must be considered in the context of each situation. Many parents escort their children across the road because of the dangers. Those children are not counted in the tally. The high number of students in support classes at Cartwright also adds complexity to how risk should be understood. They include children with sometimes complex needs, which would perversely prevent them from being included in the criteria around unaccompanied children. The broader community recognises this problem. A petition I launched to improve safety has gathered hundreds of signatures from parents, staff and local residents. I also recently met with the Minister for Roads to raise these concerns. I thank her for her time and engagement on this matter.
The safety of children walking to and from school should never be subject to technicalities or narrow interpretations of eligibility criteria. Eligibility criteria and guidelines should help us to make the best possible decisions and use resources wisely for the benefit of some of our most vulnerable community members, rather than act as a barrier to unlocking vital programs and funding. The evidence from students, teachers and parents is overwhelming: Cartwright Public School faces real daily risks that require an immediate and practical response. Installing a school crossing guard would provide peace of mind to families, restore confidence in the safety of the route to school and, most importantly, prevent the possibility of a tragedy. This community has been raising the alarm for years. It is time their voices were heard and their children's safety given the priority it deserves.
