Bracks coughs up

By Dion Teasdale
THE Bracks Government has agreed to contribute $200,000 towards improving traffic and pedestrian safety between two Healesville primary schools.
The announcement comes after parents from two schools last week threatened to stage a protest during the Premier Brack’s Community Cabinet tour the Yarra Valley.
The Premier and his 19 ministers were set to be embarrassed by the planned placard waving protest outside the official lunchtime reception outside the Healesville Memorial Hall yesterday (Monday).
The parents from Healesville Primary School and St Brigids Parish school have been campaigning to improve traffic safety around the two schools for the past two decades.
While the government said it would pay towards the works it had been unwilling to confirm the exact amount it would contribute.
Averting the protest Education Services Minister Jacinta Allan announced the funding yesterday after a meeting with school representatives at the Yarra Glen Memorial Hall.
So instead of protesting, a group of about 50 parents and children from the schools gathered outside the hall and greeted the Premier, Ms Allan and Seymour MP Ben Hardman with cheers and applause.
Children from both schools held banners and signs thanking Mr Bracks and Mr Hardman for listening to concerns about pedestrian safety and traffic congestion around the two schools.
One banner read, “After fighting for 20 years to fix our school roads, we finally have a government brave enough to listen and act.”
Another read “Thanks Mr Bracks and Mr Hardman for making our school zone safe”.
Ms Allan said she was pleased the Government was able to confirm its contribution to solving the traffic problems between the schools.
“Through its Good Neighbour program, the State Government is keen to make safe an area that clearly has the potential to be very dangerous,” she said.
Healesville Primary School council president Kersten Gentle said she was delighted with the funding commitment.
“This government has demonstrated that it does listen and it does act,” she said.
Both Ms Allan and Ms Gentle thanked Mr Hardman for his work in helping solve the road safety issue.
Mr Hardman, who was visibly moved by the cheers and accolades from the school children and their parents, said he was pleased the government was able to fund road safety improvements.