Fosters Road, Northgate

Ms WORTLEY (Torrens) (15:32): I rise to speak about a petition I tabled in this house today on the growing urgency for a pedestrian crossing to be installed on Fosters Road in my electorate of Torrens. In doing so, I would like to acknowledge the dedication of parents at Cedar College, particularly Lydia Scuteri, who worked relentlessly on collecting the 1,326 signatures, as well as all the other parents who took the time to attend meetings and speak with me about their concerns. In addition, many constituents have approached me at shopping centres and street corner meetings to raise the issue of increased traffic in the area and the need for improved signage for motorists in approaching the school zone.

The former member for Torrens worked tirelessly to address issues raised by residents relating to Fosters Road, resulting in the installation of the pedestrian refuge in late 2007 to service pedestrian needs for the college and the hospital facility located on the eastern side of Fosters Road. In addition, as a result of further investigations, a school zone with a 25 km/h speed limit was installed in late 2011, and this served its purpose.

Since that time, concerns have varied, but the common denominators have been the need for a school crossing as well as the speed of the cars travelling on Fosters Road being above the 25 km/h speed limit, particularly at the front of the school. In fourth term last year, I met with college principal, Mr Peter Thomson, to hear his views on student pedestrian safety and school traffic management in the vicinity of the college. The focus was on the increase in their student population from around 500 in 2011 to almost 800 at the beginning of this year. It also included the increase in vehicles travelling along Fosters Road.

Information gathered at these meetings with parents, the principal and residents, through concerns raised through the community, led to a request to the minister and the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure for a pedestrian movement survey to be carried out on Fosters Road in the vicinity of the college.

The survey took place in March this year, during morning and afternoon peak traffic periods, which were, of course, before school and after school, or at home time. It revealed that there are more pedestrians crossing on Fosters Road in the vicinity of the college during these hours than when the pedestrian study was carried out in 2011. In fact, pedestrians crossing in the area have increased sevenfold over the past four years.

These results have set the ball rolling for a concept plan for an emu crossing to improve pedestrian safety in the area, and I am pleased to say that the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, the school leadership through the principal, Mr Thomson, the Port Adelaide Enfield council, through Councillors Basham, Osborn and Hubycz, and the state government are working together towards a positive outcome.

When agreement is reached, the design will be completed and the project nominated on a priority list for future funding. It may come as no surprise that, with new housing developments in the area and an average of 10,000 vehicles per day travelling along Fosters Road between Grand Junction Road and Folland Avenue, my correspondence to the minister on both the crossing and better signage highlights the need for this project to be listed high on the priority list. I look forward to the day when the crossing on Fosters Road is in operation and improved signage is in place.