Deaire Pecora
See the votes on this matter →
Public participation · official item minutes
Questions & minuted responses
These responses are explicitly attributed in the written minutes. Their wording is not assumed to be a spoken reply, a commitment deadline or evidence that an action is complete.
DEAIRE PECORA · Question 1
How exactly does the parking at Cooroy primary School meet the minimum requirements for Disability access according to Main Roads?
Response from SHAUN WALSH DIRECTOR INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES
The Cooroy Primary State School carpark is situated on state-controlled road reserve and services the adjacent state school. In accordance with the Cost Sharing Agreement between Queensland Government Transport and Main Roads and local governments, the construction and maintenance of parking areas outside of the road shoulder is normally a local government responsibility. Noosa Council confirms that it has responsibility to manage the school’s drop-off/pick-up carpark on Elm Street in these circumstances. Currently the carparking area on Elm Street contain 47 carparking spaces including one (1) existing disability carparking space. Our investigation has confirmed that the current supply of parking spaces accessible to people with disabilities meets the current national standards for a school, noting that:
Cooroy State School is a Class 9B(i) assessable building under the National Construction Code (NCC).
Table D3.5 of the NCC requires one car parking space for people with disabilities, for every 100 carparking spaces or part thereof.
While the current provision of a single parking space for people with disabilities meets the national requirements, consultation by Council staff has with the school has confirmed that it desires an additional disabled car parking space to meet its needs. Accordingly, Council has initiated the process for the design and construction of an additional parking space for people with disabilities, as well as upgrading the existing space to provide an adjacent ‘shared zone’ for loading and unloading vehicles as required under current standards.
DEAIRE PECORA · Question 2
Why has council allowed the parking at Primary School to not be reviewed in 31 years. How does this meet Disability equality rights?
Response from SHAUN WALSH DIRECTOR INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES
The provision of one disabled carparking space meets the accepted supply ratio. The car parking area is subject to scheduled asset inspections and remains in good condition. A more detailed assessment would be scheduled as part of any proposal to renew the asset if it was in poor condition. Following receipt of the request for an additional disability carparking space from a parent and the Cooroy State School, Council staff have undertaken a site-specific assessment for this location and have commenced design and construction process to deliver an additional disabled carparking space consistent with feedback.
Read complete item-specific minutes
QUESTION 1
How exactly does the parking at Cooroy primary School meet the minimum requirements for Disability access according to Main Roads?
RESPONSE FROM SHAUN WALSH DIRECTOR INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES
How exactly does the parking at Cooroy primary School meet the minimum requirements for Disability access according to Main Roads?
RESPONSE FROM SHAUN WALSH DIRECTOR INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES
The Cooroy Primary State School carpark is situated on state-controlled road reserve and services the adjacent state school. In accordance with the Cost Sharing Agreement between Queensland Government Transport and Main Roads and local governments, the construction and maintenance of parking areas outside of the road shoulder is normally a local government responsibility. Noosa Council confirms that it has responsibility to manage the school’s drop-off/pick-up carpark on Elm Street in these circumstances. Currently the carparking area on Elm Street contain 47 carparking spaces including one (1) existing disability carparking space. Our investigation has confirmed that the current supply of parking spaces accessible to people with disabilities meets the current national standards for a school, noting that:
- Cooroy State School is a Class 9B(i) assessable building under the National Construction Code (NCC).
- Table D3.5 of the NCC requires one car parking space for people with disabilities, for every 100 carparking spaces or part thereof.
While the current provision of a single parking space for people with disabilities meets the national requirements, consultation by Council staff has with the school has confirmed that it desires an additional disabled car parking space to meet its needs. Accordingly, Council has initiated the process for the design and construction of an additional parking space for people with disabilities, as well as upgrading the existing space to provide an adjacent ‘shared zone’ for loading and unloading vehicles as required under current standards.
QUESTION 2
Why has council allowed the parking at Primary School to not be reviewed in 31 years. How does this meet Disability equality rights?
RESPONSE FROM SHAUN WALSH DIRECTOR INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES
The provision of one disabled carparking space meets the accepted supply ratio. The car parking area is subject to scheduled asset inspections and remains in good condition. A more detailed assessment would be scheduled as part of any proposal to renew the asset if it was in poor condition. Following receipt of the request for an additional disability carparking space from a parent and the Cooroy State School, Council staff have undertaken a site-specific assessment for this location and have commenced design and construction process to deliver an additional disabled carparking space consistent with feedback.
What was said?
Named discussion on NoosaWatch TV
These actual transcript passages match the item’s wording. The start and end of the item’s discussion are not yet confirmed; these excerpts are not measured item airtime or exact decision moments.
Deaire Pecora0:52
Hello, my name is Deaire Pecora. I was born and raised in Cooroy, as was my dad before me, and I'm now raising three children there as well. 31 Years ago, when I started at the school, my parents petitioned for a disability car park to be put in the school so I could enter and exit safely. In 31 years, the car park has not changed. The school has grown, doubled in size, they have won awards for their disability education and access to education, but the car park has not changed. The school has confirmed with me that there are six parents. This year alone needing a disability car park. And that's just not enough. There's one. In the front of the school. It's a three minute walk from that car park to the prep room alone and then another minute to the main part of the school. Now two to three minutes doesn't sound like much to someone who doesn't have to consider it, but for someone like me who has to cross a road, go down an embankment, cross another emergency access road, then go up a hill to pick up their child, that's a consideration. Sorry, my worst little groggy's way. It's really important to me that it's understood why it's significant that people with disabilities are able to speak about this issue. It's easy to say that yes, we'll commit to review this and make a change but you need to understand that it's important for us to be able to access the school for the sake of our children and to be involved in their education. I think it's a little bit horrendous that the car park hasn't changed in 31 years. I mean, what's going on? Main Roads has said that it meets the minimum requirements and that's just not true in my opinion. If you actually walked that path from the school to the car park, you would understand why. Cars start lining up for the quick pick up and drop off, they block off the entrance to the car park. They literally start lining up after the zebra crossing, which is where the entrance to the disability car park is. And that means that if I'm five minutes late to getting there, I get stuck behind cars, so I'm way to the traffic lights. And it can take up to 15 to 20 minutes for that line to disperse before I'm able to get into the car park. That's not okay either. We're one of the only schools in the area that has one entrance for quick drop off and pick up and the main car park. Why has that not changed? These are just things that I'm trying to change and if someone doesn't say something it's never going to happen which is clearly what's happened in the last 31 years. Town improving and being accessible to all people with disabilities because I'm proud of it and if I don't say something and do something now then it's not going to change and there may be people that consider not sending their kids to that school because they can't access it. So that's why I'm here today.
Deaire Pecora16:26
So my first question is, how exactly does the parking at Cooroy Primary School meet the minimum requirements for disability access? According to Main Roads.
Deaire Pecora18:18
Thank you. That kind of leads very well into my second question, and this is more of a historical question. So why has Council allowed the parking at the primary school to not be reviewed in 31 years, and how does this meet disability and quality rights?
1 suggested discussion start time
- 990.0 seconds on the council source timeline · Recording time not yet verified. The end of the discussion is not yet confirmed.