Blyth Street children’s council campaigns for road crossing

A democratically elected group of preschoolers in Brunswick are putting their power to good use and lobbying their adult council for a road safety upgrade. Here’s what they’re asking for.

Matilda (4), Maddie (4), Owen (5), Mai (4) and Annabel (4) are members of their own children’s council. Picture: Ellen Smith

They might be pint-sized, but these wannabe politicians are standing up to the big boys at the Moreland town hall.

Children at the Blyth Street Learning Centre in Brunswick have formed their own council and the main item on their agenda is getting a crossing on the road outside their daycare centre.

“The cars go too fast when the people try to cross the road,” four-year-old councillor Mai said.

“They always want to go quickly.”

Moreland Mayor Natalie Abboud meets with the children’s council. Source: Moreland Council

Centre manager Simone Myskiw said the kids council allowed them to have a say.

“One of the children said she was scared to come to Blyth St because her father almost had an accident on his bike,” she said.

“They were quite forthright and demanding in what they wanted, they said they just want to keep the children safe and they’re quite passionate about having action taken.”

The tots started a petition, which has already collected about 70 signatures, and have met with Moreland Mayor Natalie Abboud to show her their improvements, which included traffic lights, a roundabout or a zebra crossing.

She said she was looking forward to having the children present their ideas to Moreland Council at its general meeting this week.

“It was so great to see the children engaged as members of our Moreland community and be part of their valuable learning experience in the process of having their voices heard,” she said.

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Ms Myskiw said the council held weekly meetings in her office, which taught them the impacts of decision making.

“It’s one thing to say children have a voice and listen to them but it’s another to enact that voice,” she said.

The children had also held robust debates on what to have for lunch and how far to walk outside during summer.

@Josh__Barnes