Mayor Cr Murray Emerson said VicRoads had agreed to fund the supervision of school crossings in the shire as part of a six month trial.

The trial commenced at the start of the 2016 school year and according to Cr Emerson, had been working well.

The funding extends to four primary schools in the shire -­ Stawell Primary School (502), Stawell West Primary School, Stawell St Patrick’s and St Arnaud Primary School.

Cr Emerson said the trial announcement was a promising first step in ensuring a safe environment for school children.

“Council will continue to meet with VicRoads and other stakeholders such as the Department of Education and the schools over the next six months to discuss options to further the trial,” Cr Emerson said.

“We’ll be meeting regularly with VicRoads and keeping in touch with all the key stakeholders throughout the trial and we’ll sit down with the partner agencies and review the trial when the six months is up.

“We’re confident that a long term solution can be found. We fully expect to develop a sustainable outcome along with the key stakeholders that ensures the safety of school children in the shire.

“We know that other Australian States manage their school crossings in a number of different ways with lesser budgets than currently utilised in Victoria.

“There is a better, more practical and efficient solution to this and I think we’re on the right path to finding it.”

Cr Emerson said he was aware of some opinions within the community that council had not done enough in regards to securing school crossing supervision, but he was quick to dispel that claim.

“Contrary to some people in our community’s opinion, the Northern Grampians Shire Council is working very closely with the state government, VicRoads and all the authorities attached with the operation of school crossings,” Cr Emerson said.

“We are very concerned and always have been in regards to the safety of our children. We would not jeopardise that in any way.

“This week, we received a letter from the Minister’s office to say that he is very pleased that we are working on the six month trial that he, along with Northern Grampians Shire and VicRoads, has put together to work out which is in the best interests for the government, Northern Grampians Shire, Education Department and the children, in regards to school crossings.

“School crossings is a contentious issue because of the safety of the children, but at no time will we jeopardise the safety and wellbeing of our children.

“There has been an extensive review of school crossings, because the Northern Grampians Shire doesn’t believe that the responsibility of funding school crossings should be taken up by its residents.

“We believe that school crossings should be funded by the state government. We don’t believe that the Education Department, or any other authority, should be responsible for the funding. 

“We believe that the state government should be responsible for funding school crossings.”

Council understands that VicRoads has engaged School Crossings Victoria to manage recruitment of school crossing supervisors for the trial and that former council staff are among those employed.

Additional aspects of the trial will include a number of supplementary safety measures including improved signage, line­ markings, on­road messaging, raised pavement markers and potential use of raised crossings, where appropriate.