By Amelia Lorentson, Candidate For Noosa Council and Current Councillor
“Noosa is choking with traffic and car pollution! The town comes to a gridlock every day during school pickup and drop off affecting our quality of life in terms of congestion on roads and pollution affecting the quality of the air we breathe. For too long governments have buried their heads in the sand and said there’s nothing they can do. I won’t accept that narrative. I am committed to trying to make life better for Noosa residents,” Cr Amelia Lorentson says.
Amelia Lorentson, a Candidate for Noosa Council and current Councillor, is putting forward an initiative to address Noosa’s Traffic Congestion head-on and pollution in Noosa if re-elected in the upcoming Council term. This plan is geared towards improving the quality of life for all residents of Noosa by tackling traffic congestion head-on and advocating for sustainable travel options, particularly for school children.
Cr Amelia Lorentson’s policy proposal calls for a fundamental shift in the way students commute to school, urging all schools in Noosa to strongly discourage school drop-offs and pick-ups and to encourage all the schools to add 1 electric bus to their fleet. In collaboration with the state government, the introduction of 10 electric buses is proposed to provide eco-friendly transportation alternatives for daily commutes.
To ensure the safety and success of this initiative, Cr Amelia Lorentson suggests that school authorities appoint dedicated educators to train students on bus safety and responsible conduct during transit.
With each one of the 10 electric bus capable of accommodating up to 80 students, this initiative holds the promise of significantly reducing the number of cars on Noosa’s streets.
“The proposal aims to remove 800 cars or 1600 trips off Noosa’s roads every morning and afternoon, reducing congestion and pollution.” Cr Amelia Lorentson
Funding and support from the State, schools, parents, community and Noosa Council are proposed to be secured through collaborative efforts to facilitate the implementation of this initiative.
“This policy will address the issue of gridlock, which is a daily problem in Noosa, not just during holiday periods. With the exponential growth of schools in Noosa, it’s clear that we need to change how we do things. Everyone wins- the community, the environment, and our children learn to be independent.”
“This is how we fix Noosa. This is how we fix our quality of life. This is my vision for a better future.” Cr Amelia Lorentson
Policy Proposal by Cr Amelia Lorentson: Promoting Sustainable School Transportation in Noosa
Key Components:
1. Parental Drop-Offs: All schools in Noosa will be required to strongly discourage parents from driving their children to school. Instead, parents will be encouraged to drop off their children at designated bus stops.
2. Collaboration with State Government: The council will collaborate with the state government to increase the availability of electric buses for school transportation. Efforts will be made to procure 10 additional electric buses to meet the demand.
3. Training and Education: Schools will collaborate with dedicated teachers to provide training to students on how to safely catch buses and adhere to a code of conduct while using public transportation.
4. Coordination by Council: The council will coordinate efforts between schools, the state government, and other stakeholders eg parents and community to ensure the successful implementation of the policy.
