Why kids are in danger just walking to school in Wollongong

By Mithra Cox, Greens candidate for Lord Mayor and Ward 1, Wollongong Council

Every day in Wollongong, kids are risking their lives just walking to school.  Most cities have twice as many kilometres of footpaths as roads; Wollongong has less than half.

Wollongong Council currently has a Draft Pedestrian Plan on exhibition, which acknowledges that more than 80% of trips in Wollongong are made by car — compared with about 50% in other OECD countries. [source: idea.org]

Children in our city are at danger walking to school.  Many streets have no footpaths, even in flat suburbs in close vicinity to a public school.  Many roads near schools have no place to safely cross the road to get to school.

And we don’t have a plan to fix it. The Draft Pedestrian Plan states that "it is unlikely to be feasible to deliver paths across the complete walking catchments of every school in the LGA in the short or even medium term timeframe". We can surely do better than this?!

Look at this family in Bulli -- just 100 m from a school.

Walking 10,000 steps a day greatly reduces risk of medical conditions such as heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol — lifestyle diseases that are leading causes of death and ill health, and are on the rise in our society. For most people, just walking to school or the shops each day can achieve a level of physical activity that will really improve health.

If we are serious about the health of our residents, the safety of our children, and cutting our greenhouse gas pollution, we have a duty to provide proper pedestrian infrastructure.

If you don’t have the stress of walking your kids to school each day in an unsafe environment, it can be hard to understand why it’s a problem not having footpaths.  Parents from across Wollongong have sent me photos of their daily walks in an attempt to illustrate how scary this daily experience is.

This street in Corrimal has no footpaths, while bins and power poles are blocking the verge.  Meanwhile, the road is wide, and if planned better it would have plenty of room for a footpath and even a cycleway too.

This photo from Fairy Meadow demonstrates the problem when you are dependent on wheels — if you have a pram, a wheelchair or a scooter, you get bogged on the grass.  Which leaves mums with newborn babies and toddlers in the middle of the road.  This affects both young and old —anyone who requires wheels to help them get around.

This next photo shows Cater Street in Coledale, which connects Buttenshaw Drive to Coledale Station.  This family took me on a walk to show me the scary double blind corner, with no footpath or even safe shoulder to the side of the road.  They drive their teenagers to the train to get to school because this road is too unsafe for walking.

This photo is in Mt Keira, and shows another blind corner with no footpath, and essentially no place to walk except on the road.

This is Railway Street Corrimal — right near Corrimal station.  There is no safe place to cross to get to the station - in fact there are metal barriers specifically to prevent pedestrians from crossing close to the station, but there is no zebra crossing or lights. What is a pedestrian to do?

Here in Coniston, while there is a footpath, there’s no ramp to get to street level.  Manageable with a pram perhaps, but a serious barrier for anyone in a wheelchair.

And what about those unlucky enough to have to walk here, at the foot of the busy Bulli Pass? The fast trucks and cars and bins littering the narrow verge make it very unsafe for kids and adults alike.

Better footpaths will help everyone, reduce parking and traffic congestion, and will make Wollongong a safer and healthier place. 

https://www.facebook.com/mithracoxgreens/videos/141976689734907/

Meet the full team of Greens candidates in the Wollongong Council Election.

Ward 1 :

Mithra Cox; Sarah Nicholson; Stephen Young; Andrew Nicholson

Mithra Cox is the Greens lead candidate in Ward 1, and is also the Greens mayoral candidate. She is a musician and environmental educator with a passion for our environment and community. She has 15 years experience managing innovative sustainability projects and working in public administration, including in local government and the NSW Parliament, Mithra also plays the banjo with The Lurkers, which has taken her from busking on the streets, to playing at national and international music festivals. She grew up on the south coast, attending Bomaderry High School and Wollongong University. She now lives with her family in Corrimal and is a mum of two young kids.

Sarah Nicholson is a teaching academic, who serves on the committee of management for the South Coast Writers Centre. She is passionate about preserving the Illawarra's natural beauty, nurturing our arts and culture, and creating healthy local resource-sharing networks.

Stephen Young retired to Thirroul in 2015 from a career in IT and community mediation. He loves the bush, the beach, and the escarpment, and would like Wollongong Council to make action on climate change a much higher priority.

Andy Nicholson is an electrical engineer, who lives in beautiful Bulli with his partner and 5 year old daughter. He would like Council to better facilitate our children's ability to explore their local environment around schools, parks, and trails in the bush.

Ward 2:

Cath Blakey; Theresa Huxtable; Martin Cubby; Leon Fuller

Cath Blakey, the Greens lead candidate in Ward 2, is a well-known Wollongong local with experience in getting things done at a community level. She has chosen to stand with The Greens to bring scrutiny and integrity to the affairs of Council, in the public interest and against corruption. The daughter of a steelworker and a TAFE teacher, Cath had all her education in Wollongong. Cath qualified in Environmental Science and has gone on to work in nature conservation, local government, and co-operative business. She now works for a food co-operative that trades organic, locally grown and bulk wholefoods.

Theresa Huxtable and her family have lived in Wollongong since 1995. She has organised numerous community events and groups including Illawarra Film Society and Wollongong Climate Action Network. She works at UOW. She thinks we should look after our community and our beautiful environment.

Martin Cubby moved back to Wollongong with his young family in 2014. He works as a union organiser with the UOW staff union. He wants our children to inherit a better, cleaner, and fairer world. He is also a passionate soccer fan.

Leon Fuller has lived in the Illawarra for much of his life. He wrote the definitive book on Wollongong's native trees. Leon would like the Council to reduce carbon emissions, improve amenity for residents, and better protect natural areas in and around the city.

Ward 3:

Jamie Dixon; Anne Marett; Joshua Bell; Julie Marlow

Jamie Dixon, the Greens lead candidate in Ward 3, has been a self-employed shearing contractor for 15 years and has sheared alpacas in 8 countries. He is planning a career change from this physically demanding career, so he is also studing for a degree in Psychology. Jamie started his working life in the Southern Highlands and now lives in Koonawarra. Jamie is committed to sustainability across the fields of energy production, environment, and employment. Wollongong has the resources and expertise for scientific innovation. Our community could be a world leader in renewable energy solutions, while sustaining our fantastic local environment.

Anne Marett moved to Wollongong is 2014 and loves it. She worked as a TAFE teacher and educational planner and believes Council really can be proactive in attracting new industries and good jobs to the area.

Joshua Bell has lived in Dapto his whole life. He studies physical education at UOW and is passionate about ensuring that all kids have equal access to a quality education. He believes that Council should support affordable housing for all.

Julie Marlow is a retired nurse, who moved to Berkeley in 2002 and quickly fell in love with Lake Illawarra and its birds. She believes Council can do more towards meeting our city's need for clean secure jobs, affordable housing, and a resilient natural environment.

Greens candidate for Ward 1 in the Wollongong City Council Election 2017

Mithra is a musician and environmental educator with a passion for our environment and community. She has 15 years experience managing innovative sustainability projects and working in public administration, including in local government and the NSW Parliament. 

Mithra also plays the banjo with The Lurkers, which has taken her from busking on the streets, to playing at national and international music festivals.

She grew up on the south coast, attending Bomaderry High School and Wollongong University. She now lives with her family in Corrimal and is a mum of two young kids.

Mithra is passionate about making Wollongong a vibrant, creative, green city, where our culture is lived on the streets: where buskers and street artists are welcomed; where it's safe for kids to ride their bikes to school; and where our streets are alive and welcoming for everyone.

Interact with Mithra on Facebook.

Greens candidate for Ward 3 in the Wollongong City Council Election 2017

Jamie has been a self-employed shearing contractor for 15 years now and has sheared alpacas in 8 countries. He is planning a career change from this physically demanding career, so he is also studying for a degree in Psychology.

Jamie started his working life in the Southern Highlands and now lives in Koonawarra.

Jamie is committed to sustainability across the the fields of energy production, environment, and employment. Wollongong has the resources and expertise for scientific innovation. Our community could be a world leader in  renewable energy solutions, while sustaining our fantastic local natural environment.

Interact with Jamie on Facebook.

Greens candidate for Ward 2 in the Wollongong City Council Election 2017

Cath Blakey is a well-known Wollongong local with experience in getting things done at a community level. She has chosen to stand with the Greens to bring scrutiny and integrity to the affairs of Council, in the public interest and against corruption.

The daughter of a steelworker and a TAFE teacher, Cath had all her education in Wollongong.

Cath qualified in Environmental Science and has gone on to work in nature conservation, local government and co-operative business. She now works for a food co-operative that trades organic, locally grown and bulk wholefoods.

Cath knows that it is vital that Wollongong faces the changing storm, flood, erosion and bushfire risks. Our growing population requires affordable housing and efficient transport infrastructure. Cath will work to prevent residents being left stranded now or in the future.

Interact with Cath on Facebook.

The Greens candidates for the council elections in September will be  Mithra Cox, in Ward 1,  Cath Blakey in Ward 2 and Jamie Dixon in Ward 3.

"Our vision for Wollongong is a city where everyone feels welcome, whose people are recognised as global leaders in sustainability, with a lifestyle that is the envy of the world."

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