THE parents and students of St Ives High School have been campaigning for change to their transport and infrastructure for over two years.
The inadequate public transport services for St Ives High School are resulting in student lateness, traffic congestion, students unable to attend extracurriculars, and parents being forced to drive their children to and from school. Since 2020, there has been a 54% increase in student enrolment, totalling over 1700 students – this includes 200 students from the Intensive English Centre (IEC).
The St Ives High P&C have continuously sent data and survey feedback to local MPs and Transport for NSW that outlines the concerns of community members around the failing transport services, management of traffic, and safety for pedestrians and students.
With little help from these parties, the St Ives P&C have sent a detailed letter to The Post outlining the situation and the limited progress that has been made.
The letter began by stating, “the State Government, Transport for NSW and Transdev are failing our students”.
“The community has been asking for action for three years,’ it went on, ‘There is a disconnect between Transport for NSW and the Department of Education which is exacerbated by the lack of infrastructure planning required by the implementation of the Hornsby and Ku-ring-gai Housing Strategies.”
Independent Candidates for Wahroonga, Davidson and Hornsby, Kristyn Haywood, Janine Kitson and Benjamin Caswell, respectively, have collaborated in a joint media release advocating for change to the public transport services for St Ives High. The three candidates have attended the school and Gordon Station to witness the chaos for themselves.
“We are appalled by the lack of care from our sitting members for these critical community services,” reads the media release. “[We] will collaborate across our electoral boundaries to fix the transport services… We have all vowed to keep pursing this critical issue even if we don’t get elected.”
Liberal Candidate for Davidson, Matt Cross and Labor Candidate for Davidson, Karyn Edelstein were both in attendance of St Ives High School on the 13th of March to witness the problems firsthand. There, they saw mass amounts of students waiting for buses, the illegal parking of parents attempting to pick up their children, students jaywalking due to inadequate zebra crossings, along with the congestion of traffic as buses and cars navigate the strip.
“The current State Government is failing our students and our families. When can we expect change?” ask the St Ives High P&C.
This is the final stand before the election. Hopefully the next elected State Government will finally address the issues here.
The full letter from the St Ives P&C can be read on page 27 of the Print editing and online.
