City of Sydney drives pressure on state to add 40km/h school zones at childcare

A City of Sydney councillor wants to lower speed limits around childcare centres to match school zones, amid a renewed push to introduce 30km/h zones in dense residential areas.

Former Sydney deputy lord mayor Jess Scully also wants the council to back a maximum speed limit of 40km/h on all roads in the Sydney CBD and inner-city suburbs, “with consideration to 30km/h in our villages, to support safety for people walking and cycling”.

City of Sydney councillor Jess Scully wants a 40km/h speed limit around childcare centres to match school zones.Credit: Nikki Short

Scully said 26 out of 143 registered childcare centres in the City of Sydney council area were in a 50 km/h or higher speed zone.

A push for 40km/h speed limits on most inner-city roads was delayed by the NSW government last year, she said.

Scully’s notice of motion, which won unanimous support at Monday’s council meeting, said the state government imposed road safety requirements around NSW primary schools, including 40km/h school zones.

“However, there are no similar legislative requirements for traffic calming or speed reduction around childcare centres,” she said.

Scully said inner-city residents were concerned about 50km/h speed limits on residential streets in Glebe that have a childcare centre and playground.

“In December 2021, a three-year-old boy was tragically killed after being hit by a car on Glebe Street near the intersection at Mitchell Street,” she said.

Land transport accidents are the leading cause of death among children aged one to 14, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data shows.

Scully’s call for lower speed limits around childcare centres is backed by Sahand Mahmoodian, whose son Essy attends SDN Glebe daycare two days a week.

Scully also wants a 40km/h limit on all roads in the Sydney CBD and inner-city suburbs.Credit: Wolter Peeters

Mahmoodian said the street the childcare centre is on lacked speed bumps and signage that warned drivers to be aware of children and slow down.

“I would like to see a commitment to reducing the speed limit of roads in dense residential areas, especially those with childcare centres and schools to 30km/h,” Mahmoodian said.

“This will be a minor inconvenience for people when driving, but will ensure their and their family’s safety when walking on our roads.”

Michelle McLaughlin formed the Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation after her four-year-old son Tom was killed in a road accident in 2014.

McLaughlin also backs lower speed limits around childcare centres as one measure to improve kids’ road safety.

“Children are very vulnerable road users, especially those aged 10 years and under,” she said.

Road safety advocates say lower speed limits save lives, but they tend to frustrate motorists, especially as the government rakes in hundreds of millions of dollars in speeding fines.

NSW government data shows there is a 10 per cent risk a pedestrian will be killed if hit by a car travelling at 30 km/h. That risk rises to 40 per cent at 40km/h and 90 per cent at 50km/h.

Metropolitan Roads Minister Natalie Ward said there were no plans to further reduce speed limits in inner-city Sydney.

“We will continue to work with all councils and implement any measures which increase safety in areas frequented by children,” she said.

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