A bus parking area at one of the Sunshine Coast’s busiest schools is set to be overhauled.
The bus bay at Maroochydore State High School will be redesigned and upgraded thanks to $1.865 million in funding from the state government’s School Transport Infrastructure Program.
Five other state schools around the region are also set to benefit from the scheme: at Montville, Palmview, Golden Beach, Peregian Springs and Yandina.
State MP for Maroochydore Fiona Simpson welcomed the financial boost for the region’s main high school, which caters for about 1150 students.
She said the current design of the set-down area was a “nightmare” and the rebuild was “great news”.
“The current bus bays are dangerous as they require buses to reverse park, resulting in teachers needing to be traffic controllers to keep students safe,” she said.
“That wasn’t fair to teachers nor students.
“This upgrade will allow buses to parallel park and not reverse, which is much safer.”
She outlined the next steps.
“A considerable amount of design work has already been done, but I understand that the timing for construction will be within the next two financial years,” she said.
Meanwhile, Caloundra MP Jason Hunt welcomed $416,000 in funding for Golden Beach State School.
“This is wonderful news,” he said.
“Upgrades to footpaths and crossings on Gregory and Blaxland streets will make it safer and easier for students and parents accessing the school.
“I’d like to give a big shout out to Golden Beach State School and the P&C for their efforts in achieving this fantastic result for the community.”
Nicklin MP Rob Skelton said a $59,000 cash injection would go towards the drop-off and pick-up area.
“I know from dropping my kids off at school, the stop, drop and go zone can be a logistical nightmare of a morning,” he said.
“(The upgrade will) make school drop-off a little easier for parents and students each morning.”
At Montville State School, $210,000 will go towards an upgrade of footpaths and the installation of new barrier kerb and a retaining structure.
At Palmview State School, $448,000 will go towards the installation of wombat crossings at the roundabout.
At Peregian Springs State School, $216,000 will go towards the installation of a raised zebra crossing and pedestrian fencing.
Forty-six Queensland projects will receive a combined $14.1 million funding under the School Transport Infrastructure Program.
Minister for Transport Bart Mellish said the safety of school children “is a priority”.
“They are one of our most vulnerable road users and we will continue to work hard to support long-term solutions to school road safety issues,” he said.
Minister for Education Di Farmer urged commuters to be wary around schools.
“We want to make sure the journey to and from schools is safe for students, their families as well as our dedicated school crossing supervisors.”
“Everyone has a responsibility to the safety of our children in and around schools.
“Drivers need to make sure they slow down and be on the lookout for students and their families.
“Our government will continue to invest in upgrades, such as these to improve safety in and around schools.”
The aerial imagery in this story is from Australian location intelligence company Nearmap. The company provides government organisations, architectural, construction and engineering firms, and other companies, with easy, instant access to high-resolution aerial imagery, city-scale 3D content, artificial intelligence data sets, and geospatial tools to assist with urban planning, monitoring and development projects in Australia, New Zealand and North America.
Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor at Sunshine Coast News via news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au. You must include your name and suburb.
