Following initial feedback to Greater Shepparton City Council's call for observations on the recent changes to the parking regime and traffic management surrounding the Greater Shepparton Secondary College (GSSC), Council will make immediate changes to the parking arrangements adjacent to the College.
Feedback was received from residents, students, teachers and parents as part of a review of the changes to the parking regime and traffic management recommended in the Greater Shepparton Secondary College Local Area Traffic Management Plan (LATM). The recommendations within the LATM were implemented in late 2021 ahead of the College's opening. It overhauled the parking regime and traffic management arrangements in areas immediately surrounding the GSSC.
In conjunction with the College, Council is acting quickly to resolve key safety issues identified in early feedback on the LATM that expressed concern on all-day parking occupancy, and a lack of car parking spaces available for drop-off and pick-up during peak school times. The changes are designed to provide dedicated spaces for parents undertaking drop-off and pick-up during these times, and to reduce instances of all-day parking occupancy immediately surrounding the GSSC to improve safety and residential amenity.
Council is allocating 63 car parking spaces on Feshti, Hawdon and Rea Streets to allow for the drop-off and pick-up of students during school times in close proximity to the GSSC. These spaces will be timed 15 minute parking between 8.00am – 9.30am and 2.30pm – 4.00pm on school days. These changes are expected to come into effect from Friday 25 March 2022.
Council is continuing to seek feedback from residents, students, parents, staff and commuters who use the road network or reside around the GSSC to provide first-hand accounts of how traffic is operating around the school.
To enable Council to monitor traffic around the College after these immediate changes have been implemented, Council will extend the public submission period by an additional three weeks to close on Friday 8 April 2022. Council is keen to hear feedback specifically on traffic management, parking restrictions during pick-up and drop-off times, all-day parking occupancy, pedestrian and cycling routes, and any safety concerns that these groups have after the changes have been implemented.
Council will continue to review and monitor traffic movements around the GSSC to ensure that the needs of all modes of transport using the area are catered for whilst protecting surrounding residential amenity. The results of this review and feedback received from the community will inform the preparation of the second and much larger Shepparton Inner North Local Area Traffic Management Plan (Shepparton Inner North LATM).
The Shepparton Inner North LATM will seek to understand the traffic impacts that the GSSC is having on the broader road network, including interaction with neighbouring schools and businesses on local streets and arterial roads. It will also be used to inform any further changes required to improve traffic management, parking, and the safety of pedestrians and cyclists in the area. A Draft Shepparton Inner North LATM will be subject to community consultation in mid-2022, and any parking and traffic management changes required will be implemented in late 2022.
"Council has received important early feedback from students, parents, teachers, residents and commuters. This feedback has been incorporated to make immediate changes to parking around the College to provide spaces for drop-off and pick-up during peak times" Mayor, Cr Kim O'Keeffe said.
"I encourage the community to continue providing feedback, which will inform any further changes to the parking regime and traffic management around the College."
Students, parents and residents are encouraged to leave their feedback on Council's Shaping Greater Shepp webpage, which is open until Friday 8 April 2022.
