This school safety problem must be fixed, councillor says

After reading of the serious safety concerns raised by the parents of children and teenagers attending Wollongong Public School and Smiths Hill High, independent Ward 2 Cr Andrew Anthony says the problem must be addressed as a priority.

"The long-standing concerns raised by parents and school communities are understandable,” Cr Anthony said. “No parent should have to feel anxious about whether their child can safely walk or ride to school.”

He was responding to the concerns raised last week with The Illawarra Flame by Wollongong Public School’s P&C President, Jenny Blunden, who was supported by more than 20 other parents.

”It really only is a matter of time before a terrible accident happens,” Jenny said.

The school has been negotiating with Council on a raft of safety concerns since 1999. There have been two on-site meeting with Council’s traffic engineers, one in 2024 and the other in March this year.

The parents said the lack of updates, information or solutions from Council gave them no alternative but to speak to the media.

“Every day students and children are putting their lives at risk, and council seems to have put our problem in the too-hard basket,” Jenny Blunden said.

The most serious concern raised by the parents is their children being able to safely cross busy Campbell Street at the intersection of both Keira Street and Church Street. There are no pedestrian crossings at either intersection, meaning children are often forced to run the gauntlet.

Councillor to raise matter at meeting

Cr Anthony says the current situation isn’t good enough and he plans to raise the issue when Council meets on Monday night.

“With increased high-rise development and growing traffic, it is clear the situation will only become more complex if action is not taken. This is particularly important for Council to consider in the context of the Flinders Street precinct urban design framework being discussed at Monday night’s Council meeting,” Cr Anthony said.

“I am happy to meet directly with the school P&C and principals to better understand their concerns and work towards practical solutions that improve driver behaviour, support stronger police enforcement where required, and make our streets safer.

“These are issues that require genuine collaboration between Council, schools, transport agencies and NSW Police to achieve meaningful and lasting improvement.”

A Council priority

In a statement, Wollongong City Council said: “Ensuring children and their families have safe access to and from their schools is a top priority…

"Through our Safer Routes to School (SRTS) program, Council’s transport team have and will continue to work with the more than 80 local schools in our Local Government Area to identify their specific needs and ways safety can be improved. 

“Council has already begun the Safer Routes to School project at Smiths Hill High School and Wollongong Public School. We met with the Principal and P&C representatives at the end of March 2026. We are currently preparing the report to go back to the school for further consultation, in line with our commitment of a report being issued in Term 2.”

The Council spokesperson said council had identified the intersections causing parents the greatest concern along Flinders Street “for enhanced pedestrian priority”.

Funding has been allocated for design work at the trouble spots next financial year and Council said the community would be given every opportunity to have its say during the design solution process.

At that timetable, it’s likely to be two to three years at best before a final solution is implemented.