We Won! State finally comes to the table on Mansfield Safety Upgrades
As Mansfield residents are aware, I have been advocating about traffic woes around the Mansfield schools since I became Councillor for Chandler Ward in 2019.
Despite my advocacy, I’ve had great difficulty with our State Government, which has been shifting the blame onto Council for issues in the road network caused by their rapid increase in school enrolments.
However, I did write to the State Transport Minister, Bart Mellish three months ago and asked if they would match the $2.5 million commitment, so we could deliver even more for the community with this project.
Just a few weeks ago, on the eve of the government going into caretaker mode, he said yes.
Council unanimously calls on State to build new schools in the Eastern suburbs
Last week in Council, Cr Steven Huang, Councillor for MacGregor Ward moved a motion that called on the State government to purchase land to build new schools to cater for our growing population and to consult Council on the infrastructure needs to cater for increasing student enrolments.
I was more than happy to second the motion as the State Government and local member Corrine McMillan have been brushing residents’ concerns aside for far too long and blaming Council for the traffic issues surrounding Mansfield, Mt Gravatt, and Wishart.
Much to my surprise, the motion received bi-partisan support from opposition Labor Councillors and passed with 21 votes in favour. Recognising the fact that the State Government has not been working with Council when it comes to expanding school capacity.
Mansfield Area Traffic Survey (MATS)
The last few years have seen a rise in complaints about traffic and parking issues surrounding both Mansfield State schools.
Many residents are experiencing hazardous road situations and lengthy waits due to the large amounts of traffic coming through Ham Rd and Broadwater Road at school times, with the surrounding streets turning into a parking lot during pickup and drop off hours.