Ipswich City Council has listened to community feedback and will install 40km/h zones outside two schools in Springfield and Goodna.
Over many years, council has received several requests to consider implementing a 40 km/h school zone along the frontage of both the Goodna Special School, located along Queen Street, Goodna (currently 60km/h) and the Hymba Yumba Independent School, located along Springfield Parkway, Springfield (currently 70 km/h).
A report from the Growth and Infrastructure Committee said members of the Goodna school community had suggested that as some of the students may not have the same cognitive awareness as students attending other schools (i.e. students can often be unpredictable and may venture out on to the road), special consideration should be given to the implementation of a 40 km/h school zone on Queen Street, Goodna.
Council had also recently been advised that the school is to undergo an expansion to cater for current and future student population growth.
An investigation of the school operations was undertaken by council during the school peak periods at the Goodna Special School on 7 June, 2019.
Council also conducted a comprehensive review of the data collected which included on-site investigations, road hierarchy, crash data and vehicle volumes and vehicle travel speeds.
Officers determined that even though Queen Street is an arterial road, the average speed which vehicles were travelling at was well below the posted speed limit of 60km/h. It was also noted that no reported crashes had occurred in vicinity of the school.
It was recommended by officers that implementation of a 40km/h school zone on Queen Street was not required.
With Hymba Yumba Independent School, there is a refuge island located on Springfield Parkway, positioned mid-way between the main entry and exit driveways for the school.
This refuge island allows pedestrians, and particularly visitors and students of the school, to stage their crossing across busy Springfield Parkway.
The report to committee said an investigation of the school operations was undertaken during the school peak periods at Hymba Yumba on 19 September, 2019. Council also conducted a comprehensive review of the data collected which included on-site investigations, road hierarchy, crash data and vehicle volumes and vehicle travel speeds.
Officers again determined that even though Springfield Parkway is a sub-arterial road, the average speed which vehicles were travelling at was well below the posted speed limit of 70km/h. It was also noted that no reported crashes had occurred in vicinity of the school.
It was also recommended by officers that implementation of a 40km/h school zone on Springfield Parkway was not required.
Members of the Interim Management Committee queried whether guidelines took into account the fact that Goodna is a special school or that the Hymba Yumba school had been built on an inappropriate site, and that if the school community was asking for the reduced school zone and it had been elevated to MPs’ attention, why would council not consider it.
Interim Administrator Greg Chemello, at the council meeting this week, over-ruled the officers’ recommendations and determined that 40km/h zones should be installed at both locations.
Mr Chemello said the officers had compiled “very good technical reports” but he had taken on board the broader community and school concerns.
He said due to the special needs of the Goodna students it was considered prudent and appropriate to apply the 40 km/h school zone.
“It has been observed that the Hymba Yumba school is not operating as council was initially advised and that students are walking to school and that school drop off and pick-ups are occurring on Springfield Parkway which is putting both students and parents at risk.
“The imposition of a 40 km/h school zone in the vicinity of these two schools would not appear to result in unacceptable congestion and delays to through traffic, while providing additional safety and security for students.”
Council removed the existing 40 km/h school zone on Augusta Parkway, Augustine Heights in the vicinity of St Augustine’s College, based on a reassessment of the site. The school zone along Augusta Parkway was initially installed prior to the arterial road being duplicated.
The school zone was initially installed when Augusta Parkway was a single lane, two way carriageway as there was significant school related activity on and beside the road. Since the road upgrade some years ago, however, there is no longer any school related activity along the Augusta Parkway.
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