By Olivia Condous
Melton council has backed a state-wide local government campaign to receive more government support for school crossing supervisor programs.
Monash council is heading a campaign to lobby the state government to provide more funding for crossing supervisors, after government funding has gradually dwindled.
In a council meeting on August 15, Melton councillors unanimously voted in favour of joining the advocacy campaign.
The campaign states that the current school crossing supervisor model is not sustainable for local councils to maintain and reform is needed around the way that school road safety is managed in Victoria.
According to a Melton council report, the municipality has 71 school crossings, with 109 school crossing supervisors employed to manage the service, and currently has 13 crossing supervisor vacancies.
School crossing supervisors in Melton are paid less than those in other surrounding municipalities, according to a McArthur report last year they earned $1300 less per year than those in Wyndham.
The council report stated that initially two-thirds of the program funding was covered by the state government, but since then the proportion had dwindled to just under 20 per cent for the current financial year.
The advocacy campaign plans to lobby the Victorian government to fully fund the school crossing supervisor program from July 1 2023, as the increased burden on local councils and their communities was “unfair”.
Melton councillor Sophie Ramsey said the council’s decision to back the campaign would not alter any of the school crossing supervisor services currently being provided to the community.
“It’s purely just about who is going to be funding this service for our community, we’re not looking at reducing it or changing it,” Cr Ramsey said.
“Over the years, the state government has put more and more of the burden on local governments.”
Cr Ramsey stated that the service school crossing supervisors facilitated was “essential”.
“Road safety especially around schools is critical at all times, so that service won’t be altered in any shape or form.”
