Page 5957 - Week 14 - Thursday, 8 December 2011
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
MS GALLAGHER: Yes, I will. I do get a lot.
Roads—school speed zones
MR DOSZPOT: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Minister for Territory and Municipal Services. I refer to a request made by Alfred Deakin high school P&C for 40-kilometre school speed zones around its Kent Street boundary. I am aware of recent representations on this matter by Mr Hanson. However, your reply is disputed by the school in question. Can the minister explain why Alfred Deakin high school P&C has had requests for 40-kilometre school speed zones along its Kent Street Deakin boundary refused?
MS GALLAGHER: I have looked at this issue. I do not have the brief from Roads ACT in front of me, but I know that they have investigated this very carefully, and the advice back was that the road does not support a 40-kilometre speed limit being placed on it. As you would know, Kent Street is a major road that has a lot of traffic on it through the day. These are not decisions that politicians take; these are decisions that are made based on the advice of experts who manage our road system.
I can have a look at the brief again, but, from memory, the brief indicated that a very thorough assessment of that road had been done, including the impact of reducing the speed on that road, and the concerns raised by the school did not warrant the road being reduced to a 40-kilometre speed zone.
MR SPEAKER: Supplementary, Mr Doszpot.
MR DOSZPOT: Minister, based on your answer, why is there a school zone at Hughes primary school, which is also located on Kent Street, with 251 students, while the application from Alfred Deakin high, with 740 students, has been rejected?
MS GALLAGHER: As I said, I am not a road engineer. The government does take advice about these matters. That includes the traffic. The age of the students is also a factor in consideration, and the entrance to the school; the entrance to Alfred Deakin high is not on Kent Street. All of those factors—
Mr Smyth: Neither is Hughes primary school. Hughes primary school is not on Kent Street either.
MS GALLAGHER: The front of the school faces on to Kent Street. All of those factors are thoroughly analysed by Roads before providing advice on what is the appropriate speed limit.
MR HANSON: A supplementary, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Hanson.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video