Speeches Transcript: March for Road Safety

Ellen - Bridgewater Primary School Parents Representative

So this is a real culmination of a team effort to highlight a really pressing, important issue to the community of Bridgewater and surrounds, and it is about the safety of our community, the active transport in our community, and making choices and raising our voices so that we could be heard and get some really great action happening. So firstly, we're here today because, um, things have become so busy in Bridgewater. The roads have a lot more traffic on them. Than years ago. People are driving faster cars, everyone's in a rush, they want to get to places, and so today is about stopping, taking a look, and just slowing down for a moment. So we need to first of all slow down on the roads. Second of all, we need our kids and all people of diverse mobilities and ages to be able to walk around Bridgewater, cycle around Bridgewater, with clear pathways, safe ways to cross the road, safe footpaths to walk on, and feel that, you know, great energy of being able to have active transport. And so I'd like to thank everyone who has organized today and organized the advocacy that's been running for, um, since last year on the issue. And we've also We've got some special guests here today, and we have the Member of Parliament Josh Teague from South Australian Liberal Party. We've got the candidate for the Greens, Genevieve Dawson-Scott, and the candidate for Labor, Marissa Bell. We've also got Adelaide Hills councillors here as well with us. So there's been some big announcements today, and I thought we— while we're all gathered here, it's not a political issue, it's a community-led issue, but there's a chance to just have a hear from each of them about I guess how they're engaging with this issue and what they see could be done or that's important to get active safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and community members in Bridgewater. Would anyone like to go first?

Josh Teague - Liberal Candidate

We could all step out together.

Marissa Bell - Labor Candidate

Yeah.

Josh Teauge - Liberal Candidate

We're starting to get used to being in a room together a bit lately as well. Today's the day I think where we're all able to come together and say well done to this fantastic school community and everybody who's been out surrounding this campaign for safer streets, safer crossings. And there's more to do, but it is absolutely tremendous to have this confirmed that there's this pedestrian crossing. I know that it's been announced by the government on behalf of your Labor candidate, and we are absolutely 100% on board. And so that'll absolutely happen, and it's part of so much more that needs to be done to continue to define this greatest of all of those parts of the Hills. So as a Bridgewater local, I'm constantly aware that I've got to be careful not to be too parochial about calling for absolutely everything to be done here, but it's home, it's my backyard, and I'm absolutely delighted that this is announced and confirmed today. So thanks for having me along and good to be together.

Marissa Bell - Labor Candidate

Hello everyone, I'm Marisa Bell. I want to acknowledge too that we meet on Kaurna and Peramangk land, the beautiful lands and waters that we're meeting. I love the sound of the, of the wind through the leaves of the trees, and I'm sure you do. This is a beautiful place. And yes, that's right, um, we made an announcement this morning. I was here 8:30 this morning. Uh, I want to congratulate all of you for the work that you've done in advocating for your community. Um, and, uh, um, you know, I've been out and about since June, and I've been on the doors, I've been taking calls and making calls, uh, and I've met with many, um, community stakeholders and local government, and you made it loud and clear that your priority is obviously the roads and road safety for your families and children and community generally. So this morning at 8:30, we made an announcement, and look, you prompted that, I have to say. So you added to that advocacy yesterday by that article that was in the paper, uh, and you know, I've been speaking to the Premier directly, relaying all your information speaking to the ministers, relaying your information, and that they saw that article and they acted on what I've been asking for you on your behalf. So we've announced a $1.5 million, um, new pedestrian— or a pedestrian crossing, which you don't have, uh, which we will build here should the Malinauskas government be reelected. Uh, and that's going to be obviously the crossing, the lights, and some stormwater. So I want to congratulate all of you on that, uh, because it's your work. You own that. Uh, you just, you know, you, you just, um, spoke to me and I, and, and I highlighted that for you to the government. So well done.

Genevieve Dawson-Scott

Thank you, Marissa. And I just like to say I'm so proud to be a member of this community as well, and I'm so proud to be part of what might be some people's first protest here. Put up your hand if it's your first protest. Ever? Cool, because community pressure works and your voice is really powerful and the right to protest is incredibly important. We can get things done when we work together and we can have a big loud voice all together to make our community safer and better for everybody. If we're— if I might be your representative come march, if the election goes the Greens' way, then we'll have an active transport commissioner we're going to be pushing for as one of our policies we're taking to the election. So cycling and pedestrian transport, those active transport methods will be really something we're going to be charging ahead with and trying to get some more advocacy there for you. Yeah, I think everyone here should be really, really, really, really proud of your work, and we should go make a big hullabaloo together now, don't you think, to celebrate?