Students at Leopold Primary School are starting the day on the right path thanks to new active travel measures that make the journey to school safer and more fun.
The new park-and-drop zone on Melaluka Road is part of the Walk, Ride, Scoot and Roll Geelong program and was officially launched this morning on National Ride2School Day.
The program has been funded through a $110,000 grant from Sport and Recreation Victoria's Kids Active Travel Program and a further $10,000 from the City of Greater Geelong, delivered in partnership with Bellarine Community Health and supported by Active Geelong.
In addition to the park-and-drop zone, other changes at Leopold include:
five active travel routes clearly signposted with nine bright wayfinding signs
- TagOn kiosks with fobs for students to reward active travel
- a new bike shed increasing space for 170 bikes and scooters
- bike maintenance classes with Hendry's Bike Shop
- Bike Ed accreditation for a PE teacher.
Creative active travel features co-designed by students have also been rolled out at St Leonards , Portarlington and Newcomb primary schools.
At Leopold this morning, families celebrated the launch with spot prizes, giveaways and a coffee van.
Looking ahead, the City has secured further funding for 2025–2027 to expand active travel initiatives to four primary campuses of Northern Bay P-12 College and develop an Active Travel Toolkit to support up to 80 primary schools across the region.
Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant MP
I'm delighted to see creative active travel measures rolling out across the Bellarine Peninsula for local families to enjoy safely and with confidence. Congratulations to the Leopold Primary School community for embracing this opportunity. It's fantastic to see students helping shape the way they travel to school.
Health portfolio chair Cr Rowan Story AM, RFD
The Bellarine Peninsula has a strong sense of community, and projects like this show how much can be achieved when people come together to make a practical difference. Leopold families will benefit from this project every day.
Bellarine Community Health chief executive Kathy Russell
It's exciting to see communities embracing creative ways to support children's health and wellbeing. Clear routes and visible cues can help families feel comfortable and confident to use active travel to get to school.
Leopold Primary School assistant principal Ms Samantha Sharkey
Our students were proud to see their artwork included in the park and drop signage, and see their ideas brought to life. It's been a fantastic opportunity to contribute to a real project in their community.
