Schools denied road safety project

Peninsula primary schools will be among 75 Central Coast primary schools to be disadvantaged by cuts to a road safety education scheme, according to Cr Chris Holstein.

He said Wyong and Gosford Councils had been advised that the Motor Accidents Authority (MAA) would deny the one third funding for a facility under the Community and Road Safety Education Scheme.

The councils claimed Roads Minister Mr Carl Scully indicated support for funding through the Motor Accidents Authority in October.

The facility would have served 75 local primary schools with over 15000 students annually benefiting. Cr Holstein said a campaign for the facility started nine years ago.

"It has been nothing but stalling, sidestepping, buck-passing and avoidance by the relevant government departments.

"Both Councils have commitment to jointly fund a third of the cost," he said.

"The Roads and Traffic Authority had agreed on another third but now the MAA has pulled the pin, stating that the project doesn't fall within the authority's child road safety program guidelines."

Cr Holstein said that since 1995 Gosford Council had answered the conerns of various government departments, identified the land.

It had lobbied for appropriate staffing, committed to upkeep and maintainence and then finally agreed to fund one third of what is normally a fully-funded State project.

"Now there is yet again another excuse because $267,000 cannot be found by the MAA.

"Over the next 10 years this scheme would educate over 150,000 local school children, at the cost of $1.78 a child.

"Surely the Motor Accident Authority and the government can afford that," he said.

Press release, March 2