"How wonderful it is to see all the hard work and perseverance paying off for this public school to secure the funding they need to improve safety for parents and students alike."
ENCAT manufactured, supplied and installed new Pedestrian Fencing for Yass Public School to improve student safety forming part of the Yass Valley Council‘s School Zone Infrastructure Sub-Program supported by the Federal and NSW Governments’.
Yass Valley Council identified a number of locations suitable for improvements to crossings, parking and bus zones at many local schools in the area.
A refuge area had already been installed at Yass Public School but approval had been granted to;
- Install a dedicated bus lane with Pedestrian Fencing with Gates on Laidlaw Street.
- Install a dedicated ‘kiss and drop’ zone.
- Increase car parking including separated teacher parking.
One of the unique aspects of our Pedestrian Fencing installation for this location near the busy school crossing was the gates that could be opened by a teacher. Each one was specifically placed exactly where the bus stops so that students are protected from the traffic, but can still use public transport.
To compliment these new roadway installations the Council has been working with the schools to reinforce new road safety principles. Among them, the importance of holding hands with children aged eight and under while walking to and from school.
As pedestrians, children can be easily distracted and are often too small to be seen by drivers. They may be unable to predict or identify dangers and tend to act impulsively.
Environmentally friendly fencing
ENCAT is very focussed on using Australian sourced materials from sustainable locations. Most companies import their Pedestrian Fencing from China. It is perceived to be a cheaper cost although we find it is poor quality, unsafe and risky to be used in school zones especially.
See our explanation about using non-compliant fencing here.
We are proud of the fact that our fencing is made in our Wollongong factory using Australian recycled steel, it’s 100% Australian made. We choose to manufacture in Australia to ensure schools have Transport For NSW compliant school zone fencing and by using recycled steel it also helps to save the environment by reducing carbon emissions.
Australian recycled steel is made from melted down old cars and steel appliances in Sydney. Recycled steel uses far less carbon dioxide to produce steel compared to normal steel production.
We have calculated using recycled Australian steel on this project saved over 20,160 kilograms in carbon emissions.
In addition to this there are further carbon emission savings because our products are not imported by a ship with high fuel usage & there is also less overall trucking required too. This is one of the many benefits of using Australian made products.
Pedestrian Fencing installed at school pick up areas
ENCAT worked closely with the local council & the school to determine the exact usage patterns of the roadway, ‘kiss and drop zone’ as well as the new bus only lane about to be set up.
One of the key requirements was the ability for students to enter or exit a bus from the lane but still be protected by the pedestrian fencing.
Our cost effective design means you can use a single type of pedestrian fence panel but have gates incorporated at required distances.
This means the installation will protect any pedestrians waiting on the verge & when needed, be opened to allow access to or from a vehicle.
Separating through traffic, public transport heavy vehicles like buses, private vehicles doing drop offs and pedestrians is so important for locations like this one in Yass.
During peak times there will be so much movement, lots of distractions and for younger children in particular, it can be a dangerous area with so many vehicles moving.
The changes being made to the roadway, dedicated bus lane together with the new fencing will help manage the flow of vehicles and people much better than before.
The fencing will be a powerful visual deterrent, control students getting on/off a bus through the dedicated gate locations and prevent a stray vehicle from reaching pedestrians waiting on the footpath.
The other element of this pedestrian fencing installation that needed to be considered was the proximity to the bridge crossing the nearby waterway.
ENCAT’s pedestrian fencing installation team made sure there was no gaps between the new pedestrian fencing and the bridge fencing to ensure a single protection barrier for any pedestrian using the footpath.
It would have been possible to extend the pedestrian fencing run on both sides of the bridge to maximise safety levels on either side of the road.
In the future the school may also consider installing bus shelters to help protect students and teachers from the weather, especially during winter.
ENCAT’s range of bus shelters are modular and can be manufactured in specific lengths to suit an existing site. There are various models to choose from that include glass panels or louvres to maximise visibility from all sides.
Pedestrian Fencing for main roads
Yass Public School has been very proactive when it comes to improving their facilities with major works projects taking place since 2011.
Yass Valley Council were also successful in applying for an $871,306 grant from the Federal and NSW Governments’ 2021/22 School Zone Infrastructure Sub-Program. Local Traffic Committee Chair, councillor Jasmin Jones, welcomed the funding and commended the proposed works designed to enhance safety for children and parents.
“It is deeply satisfying to see significant funds secured to address the community’s top safety concerns around many of our local schools,”
Cr Jones said.
Yass Valley Council, Transport for NSW and the local community have been advocating for funding to improve the student drop-off and pick-up zone at Yass Public School for more than ten years.
“Both the community and council never gave up on this problem and have been working together towards this result for some time. The safety concerns raised by parents, bus drivers and the school principal have guided every attempt by council to engage with the then Roads and Maritime Services and now Transport for NSW to bring about a safer design,”
Cr Jones said.
Yass Public School Principal Michelle Fahey said staff and families were really excited by the funding and relieved students would be safe now and into the future.
“The Yass Public School car park has become increasingly busy as our school population has grown by a third in the past few years. Morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up will be very positively impacted by the newly announced, successful School Zone Infrastructure Sub-Program,”
Mrs Fahey said.
Pedestrian fences will improve safety
ENCAT can supply Pedestrian Fencing to local councils or civil works contractors. This could be a shopping centre area, residential development, new road or even a school. No matter the location our civil engineering team can design & manufacture fencing that is suitable.
