Hartley Electorate

Mr TARZIA (Hartley) (15:15): I wish to draw the attention of the house to two local issues in my community: a local primary school and a local bus stop that has been of enormous concern to local residents. I have in my hand a petition signed by about 100 local residents drawing the attention of the house to the demand for a safer bus stop location for bus stop 14 on Magill Road, which is the north-west side.

The position of this bus stop near the T-junction of Galway Grove and Magill Road, Tranmere, is a safety concern to local commuters, as they are forced to take risks when entering the junction due to parked buses waiting at the timed stop. This situation has led to a number of impatient drivers taking risks with their safety and that of others just to access Magill Road. I have raised this issue on a number of occasions with the Department of Transport. I continue to do so today and I will continue to lobby until the right outcome is reached.

The bus stop in question sits just metres away from the busy T-junction of Galway Grove and Magill Road. As it is currently situated, the bus stop blocks the vision of local traffic attempting to turn right onto Magill Road from Galway Grove. To make matters worse, this is a timed bus stop. That means that, when buses are running early, they sit and wait at this stop for prolonged periods, hence forcing local traffic to creep out onto the busy road, unable to see oncoming traffic, risking an accident. This is an unnecessary risk for local commuters to have to take. My fear is that it will inevitably result in a serious and foreseeable collision.

I put the government on notice that that is the case and urge them to do something about this quickly. To place a busy bus stop so close to an intersection certainly seems careless, but to then make it a timed bus stop is asking for an accident. I would encourage the government to listen to the concerns of the residents and the community and relocate this bus stop to a less hazardous location that does not hinder the safety of local traffic. I will continue to lobby the local council and the state government on this important issue.

I also recently visited East Marden Primary School, and I want to draw the attention of the house once again to certain issues about that school in my electorate. This is an outstanding school that, unfortunately, has been let down by this state Labor government that has now been in power for 15 years. It is about time that this state government gave East Marden Primary School the attention and the extra resources it deserves.

As I have said in the past, this school has incredible demand from families looking to send their kids to the school. This is a result of not only outstanding results but also the exceptional culture within the school. That demand has also been exacerbated by the increased density in the surrounding area. To date, this state Labor government has not delivered East Marden Primary School with the upgrade to the facilities that it needs to give students the absolute best learning environment possible.

This school does an exceptional job, which is a credit to the principal, the teachers, the governing council and also the parents. The school does an exceptional job with the facilities it has, but it is certainly in desperate need of more. The government has a clear responsibility to this school to improve these facilities and to do so quickly. I ask this government to build the much needed extra classrooms, the much needed extra toilets and other buildings, and improve facilities that are needed to meet the increased density and demand for this school.

I especially ask the minister to address recent building issues raised within the department. As the member for Hartley, I will continue to advocate for improved educational facilities to ensure that every child has the best learning opportunities possible in our local area. I will return to speak about this issue in this place on another day.