General News
1 September, 2025
Kealy takes safety fears at Horsham West Primary School to Parliament
Concerns over student safety at Horsham West Primary School have been escalated to the state parliament following a community-led campaign that highlighted traffic management risks around the school.
The push follows a Horsham Rural City Council listening post in May, initiated by resident John Flynn and hosted by Cr Cam McDonald, where residents raised concerns about congestion and the limited number of pedestrian crossings.
On August 21, Member for Lowan Emma Kealy toured the school boundary with Mr Flynn and residents before raising the matter in parliament this week, urging the Education Minister to direct the Victorian School Building Authority to develop a traffic and parking management plan.
"I would like to raise the matter with the Minister for Education," she said.
"And the action I seek is for the minister to direct the Victorian School Building Authority to develop a traffic and parking management plan for Horsham West Primary School.
"There has been an issue for an extended period of time.
"There have been some near misses on that road, and I urge the minister to step up and provide that school with support to make that area safe," she said.
Mr Flynn has actively sought support from Horsham Rural City Council, the Education Department, and the Horsham police on the matter since October 2024; he has also liaised with the school.
His concerns are focused on Kooyong, Kirkwood, and Manthoura Street at school drop-off and pick-up times.
"The area can be so congested that drivers stop in the middle of the road, forcing children to get out of cars and make their way through traffic to gain access to the school," he said.
He said that the same applies when students are picked up at the end of the school day.
Mr Flynn said that "many of the five and six-year-old students were tiny and easily hidden out of sight of drivers until they dart out from behind a car," he said.
One resident who attended the gathering told Ms Kealy that he had a very frightening incident occur when a child ran out in front of his car.
"In all my days of driving, I had never felt as sick as I did that day," he said.
In response to Mr Flynn's correspondence with HRCC, John Martin, Director of Infrastructure, stated that council staff had been preparing a plan to address safety concerns in the vicinity of the HWPS, with an initial focus on pedestrian and vehicle safety.
Mr Martin also addressed Mr Flynn's suggestion that HRCC purchase land behind the school to construct a car park and bus hub, with an additional plan for a meeting place and playground.
Mr Martin said these plans would require significant advocacy and funding to proceed.
Director of Communities and Place Kevin O'Brien said. "...the Coordinator Community Safety had attended the site and assisted in improving the clarity of existing signage, but staff shortages had prevented regular patrols or infringement notices."
Mr Flynn said he was pleased there had been some action including the repainted yellow 'no parking' signs, a locked gate to prevent parking on the paddock on the west side of the school which is muddy during winter and causes the streets to become muddy and slippery and that parking conditions on the North side of Kirkwood Street had been changed, resulting in some improvement of traffic flow.
He said reports in the media of student Milla Kileen, aged 12, tragically killed when a school bus crashed near Geelong, emphasised to him how important it was to do something about the pedestrians and traffic movement around the Horsham West Primary School for the safety of students.
"What a tragic coincidence that Milla Kileen lived in the same community as Caleb Wesley, a six-year-old boy killed in March this year, going to school, two lives lost," he said.
Mr Flynn said he hoped Ms Kealy's involvement would expedite the matter.
