Georges River Council partners with Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation to boost safety

Georges River Council has joined forces with the Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation and University of NSW (Transport and Road Safety Research Centre) to take part in an innovative program that evaluates child pedestrian safety around local early learning services.

 

Georges River is one of seven Local Government Areas (LGAs) from New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria to participate in the ‘Hold my Hand’ program which is focused on road safety initiatives to reduce child road trauma.

 

As part of the program, the Council will install ‘Hold My Hand’ metal signs outside 10 participating early learning services across the area, six Council operated, and four run by private providers. 

 

The program will include a study involving a pre-survey of attitudes about child pedestrian road safety, an education campaign with resources, and a post-survey to gauge the impact of the project.

 

“Georges River LGA has been identified as a high-risk area based on the number of pedestrian and child accidents especially within high vehicle and pedestrian areas,” explained Mayor Nick Katris.

 

“To combat this, Council is providing further educational, behavioural and community engagement programs to raise awareness to the local community.”

 

Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation CEO Michelle McLaughlin said it is vital that parents understand why they must hold hands with their children in traffic environments.

 

“Parents must actively always supervise children, especially those aged 1-10 years, who have significant cognitive, physical, and perceptual limitations around roadways. Due to these limitations, children are unable to keep themselves safe from road trauma events and need adults to perform this responsibility on their behalf,” she said.

 

The Foundation has partnered with 68 LGA in four Australian states over the past nine years. To learn more about their work please see here. 

 

A list of participants in the Georges River LGA follows. 

 

• Rise and Shine Kindergarten Kogarah 
• Rise and Shine Kindergarten Carlton 
• St George Bank Child Care Centre 
• Jenny’s Kindergarten Riverwood 
• Ocean Street Kindergarten Kogarah
• Jack High Child Care Centre 
• South Hurstville Kindergarten
• Penshurst Long Day Care 
• Carss Park Narani Child Care Centre
• Oatley West Early Learning Centre. 

 

The project summary will be available later in the year via the Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation website. For more information, visit the Council’s Road Safety page.