Kindy footpath campaign gives early lessons in democracy
Sandon Point Children’s Centre's campaign for a footpath on Point Street has sparked posters, a petition and plans to tell "important people"
Children are learning that their voices matter at Sandon Point Children’s Centre.
“During the last month at kindy, we have been talking about how we can get our local council to build a footpath on Point Street,” said centre director Zarah Tonkin.
“The children have been very active in critically thinking about how we can make this happen."
The centre at 69 Point Street caters for a range of ages, from babies to five-year-olds. The children have had lots of ideas, including:
- “Making a poster” – Ambrose
- “Telling people about what we are doing” – Georgia
- “Drawing pictures” – Gigi
- “Telling important people” – Lily
“Using these ideas, I set out to make a poster, with the children doing all the writing and drawing the pictures," Zarah said.
"You can see the sun, clouds, the children walking safely and the café — the café that we plan to visit once we can walk safely down Point Street.”
Zarah is the driving force behind a recent petition to complete the shared Point St path between O’Brien and Southview streets, and calm the traffic on the Grand Pacific Drive at Bulli. More than 800 people have signed it so far, and two city councillors back the idea of a footpath, while also flagging the usual restriction on swift action by local government: funding.
“Point Street presents a few challenges for a footpath, with the need for retaining walls which make any project quite expensive,” said councillor Jess Whittaker.
“This doesn’t mean it can’t happen, but it doesn’t rank as highly as other projects vying for the limited footpath and cycleway funding allocated each year by Wollongong Council.”
Cr Whittaker has visited the centre and enjoyed speaking to some of the city’s youngest activists. “The kids are really engaged on issues of road safety, and they want a safer way to get to pre-school especially when riding bikes and scooters. We chatted about how Councils work, how change happens and the new skatepark coming to Thirroul.”
Last week, Cr Ryan Morris also met residents on site.
The secretary of Northern Illawarra Residents Action Group (NIRAG), Ross Dearden, said Cr Morris was “very supportive” and committed to helping make a case for state government funding.
“Conditions are unsafe for children and the elderly who are forced to walk in the traffic lanes," Ross reported. "Council has not been able to include the project in a works program and additional funding is needed.”
As it stands, the missing footpath on Point Street means preschoolers can’t simply walk down the hill from their centre to Sandon Point, a distance of less than 1km.
“If there was a footpath all the way down Point Street, we would be able to take the children safely down to the beach to participate in our Beach Kindy program,” Zarah said.
“As it stands now, we catch the bus down and walk back, but must go the long way up O’Brien Street to ensure the children’s safety."
Kindy kids are thinking about how best to spread the word of their campaign, with ideas such as telling more people “at the shops” and “the cafe”, Zarah said.
“I also asked the children how they would feel if we got a footpath so we could go to the beach and the park safely.
“They said they would feel “a part of the community”, “happy” and “safe”.
"We are hoping to get the wider community behind the children’s idea and help get the message out about the need for a footpath on Point Street. In the coming weeks, we will be doing a letterbox drop with flyers throughout the local area to raise awareness.”
Discussions have provided early lessons in democracy and Zarah said she's "incredibly proud of the children’s initiative, enthusiasm and determination".
“Throughout this project, the children are developing a deeper understanding of advocacy, active citizenship and community participation. They are learning that their voices matter, that they can raise concerns about issues affecting their lives, and that they can work collaboratively to encourage positive change.
"Most importantly, this campaign demonstrates to the children that they do not have to be adults to make a difference. By identifying a concern, developing ideas, engaging with community members and communicating with local decision-makers, they are discovering the power of their voices and the importance of being active participants in their community."
Footpaths are accessible for all and the foundation of the NSW Government's active transport policy. Over the next 20 years, Transport for NSW plans to double the number of walking and riding paths across the state.
Cr Whittaker thinks children can make a difference in decision making.
“Funding this project may take some collaboration with other levels of government, and the children’s campaign will help push for that," she said.
"Our towns and villages are growing in density; there are more visitors every year to the area and more cars on the road. Conflict between cars, bikes and pedestrians is increasing. We must respond by increasing our funding for safe crossings and active transport routes to try to address these issues.”
For more information on the petition, go to the Change.org page.
NIRAG supports preservation of open space and the retention and enhancement of our Natural Environment, European and Indigenous Heritage. Residents of Neighbourhood Forum 3 area (Woonona, Bulli, Thirroul and Austinmer) are welcome to attend NIRAG meetings to contribute to discussions about local community issues such as the Point St path.
NIRAG’s next quarterly meeting is on Wednesday, 11 November, 7pm upstairs in the Bulli Community Centre, contact nirag@bigpond.com.
