CASEY KINDERGARTENS WELCOME LITTLE BLUE DINOSAUR ROAD SAFETY PROGRAM

The City of Casey has joined forces with the Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation and the University of NSW – Transport and Road Safety Research Centre on an innovative new program to help improve child pedestrian safety around local kindergartens.

The Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to protecting child pedestrians from the ever-present danger of roadways and moving vehicles through a program of community education.

City of Casey Chair of Administrators, Noelene Duff PSM said Casey was proud to be involved with the project.

“Council is committed to improving safety for children and this partnership with the Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation will help put pedestrian road safety at the top of all our minds,” Ms Duff said.

“Council is installing ‘Hold My Hand’ signs, created by the Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation, outside ten City of Casey kindergartens to encourage greater awareness about pedestrian road safety.

“We have also purchased the Little Blue Dinosaur’s picture book, Tom’s Holiday, as part of a road safety kit for every City of Casey kindergarten to support discussions with children about pedestrian safety.”

The foundation was established in 2014 by Michelle McLaughlin, following the death of her four-year-old son, Tom McLaughlin due to a pedestrian-motor vehicle crash that occurred during a family holiday.

“Over the last decade from 2013 to January 2023, 587 children aged 0-16 years were involved in a road fatality crash, with 22 per cent of these fatalities occurring when the child was a pedestrian or a cyclist. On average, one child per week dies in Australia this way, and it’s entirely preventable,” Ms McLaughlin said.

“It is especially important for young children to hold their carer’s hand when around busy roads. My family knows firsthand the heartbreaking reality of losing a child to road trauma.”

The study taking place in Casey will involve a parent survey about child pedestrian road safety, a community awareness/ educational campaign, and a follow-up survey to gauge the impact of the project.

Have Your Say On The Draft Budget

The City of Casey Draft Budget 2023/24 and Draft Council Plan 2021-25 - Year 3 Review, will be available for community feedback from 19 April to 9 May 2023. The suite of documents available for the community to review and provide feedback on include the Draft Council Plan 2021-25 – Year 3 Review, Draft Annual Action Plan 2023/24, Draft Financial Plan including the Draft Budget 2023/24 and Capital Works Program 2023/24.

Created in line with community feedback gathered across a number of recent community engagement opportunities, these strategic documents continue to reflect the community’s stated aspirations for the future of Casey, which is to become a more connected, bold, and resilient community.

Visit Council’s website to view the documents and have your say.