‘Lovely man’: Suburban Melbourne community rallies around local lollipop guard

A small Australian community is rallying around a long-serving council worker and cherished local lollipop man after he was reassigned from his position.

An outer Melbourne community has rallied in support of a beloved local crossing guard, after he was told by the council his post would be reassigned due to recent road upgrades in the area.

Steve Price has been a crossing guard at the Montrose pedestrian crossing in Melbourne’s eastern fringes for eight years and is described by members of the community as “everybody’s grandpa” and a “lovely man” who “makes every morning a wonderful experience”.

But some in the community claim he has been reassigned due to Mr Price “putting in too many complaints and raising too many safety issues (on behalf of) the kids in the area.”

The community has rallied around Steve Price after council reassigned his post. Picture: Supplied

Last week, a petition was launched on change.org aimed at reinstating Mr Price to his position.

In the petition Mr Price says he “was told the council would be taking over the crossing, (another guard) was coming to mine and the other supervisor from Mt Dandenong Rd would be taking over (the other guard’s) crossing in Montrose road. I will be going somewhere else.”

A spokesman for Yarra Ranges Council said that many of the council’s school crossing supervisors are contracted through Hoban Recruitment but are done so on a “term-to-term basis”.

“Before each school term, Council provides Hoban with a list of school crossing sites that need a supervisor. These locations can change each term, so the assignments are never permanent and are on a term-to-term basis as per their Hoban contract.

“Due to the recent upgraded road and pedestrian safety works at the Montrose intersection, it has meant that only one supervisor is now required at that location, rather than two.”

Mr Price is described by members of the community as a “lovely man” that “makes every morning a wonderful experience”. Picture: Supplied

It’s an explanation petition starter and parent at the school Sigrid Peterson doesn’t buy.

“They decided to move our favourite lollipop man who had been there for eight years because he – I think, he thinks it as well – put too many complaints and raised too many safety issues in the area that he works in for the kids’ safety.

“The crossing isn’t long enough. 
The bus stop is really close to a main road. There’s a lot of kids that sit there …

“He’s been too hard, so they’ve moved him on. He would love to chat, but he also doesn’t want to get in trouble from his employer.”

Ms Peterson added “(Steve’s) lovely. 
He’s like everybody’s grandpa. He knows most of the kids’ names, everybody gives him gifts at Christmas time”. 


“I posted it everywhere on all the notice boards and people that had moved from the area said how much they missed him.”

Council has said that “due to the recent upgraded road and pedestrian safety works at the Montrose intersection, it has meant that only one supervisor is now required at that location, rather than two.”

Ms Peterson expressed disappointment in the Council’s response or lack thereof.

“They haven’t responded to it, I emailed the petition to them and to his employer as well, neither of them have responded to me. 
They’ve been pretty useless throughout the roadworks, not supporting the affected businesses either.

“I think they just wanted him moved on because he was complaining too much about the roadworks and the safety.

“He’s been there for eight years. It’s just very, very convenient timing.”

Another parent, Ashleigh from Bayswater, commented on the petition that Mr Price “makes every morning a wonderful experience for myself and my children”.

“Mostly we drive past and a few times will cross the road with him. Whatever our day looks like it always starts and ends with a smiley happy most respectful person.

“Steve is just apart of Montrose we just know him he’s apart of our daily lives and it’s just not the same without him around. Our mornings are less happy without him. Please bring Steve back to where he belongs.”

Marina

“I drive past every morning on my way to work and even though I never met him it was very obvious how much he loved his job and the people around him. Always smiling and always chatting to the parents and children. It’s sad to hear this being taken away from someone and forcing changes onto a person who was clearly happy with his job, it’s location and has made strong connections. Can’t even imagine how devastated this man must be or the children and parents of children who attend the school. Another example of a council making decisions on its own and disregarding the opinions of those who feel the effects the most. Hoping this gets overturned.”

At the time of writing the petition currently has 336 signatures.

Originally published as ‘Lovely man’: Suburban Melbourne community rallies around local lollipop guard