General News
27 January, 2026
Concerns remain without crossing update
There’s still no update on Dunolly Primary School’s lack of a school crossing supervisor despite the student’s return to school this week.
The start of a school year can be an exciting time, but in Dunolly one face will be missing, the school crossing supervisor who was deemed too expensive by Central Goldfields Shire Council.
Since the announcement both council and Member for Ripon Martha Haylett said they were advocating for the crossing — but neither have made any clear progress.
“Council is continuing to work with the Department of Transport and Planning on the Dunolly school crossing,” the organisation said in a statement.
“Council will communicate directly with the school on the outcomes of these discussions in the first instance, with a broader community update to follow.”
Dunolly Primary School principal Katie Lovel previously said the closure left her fearing the worst.
“Children’s safety should never be against a budget line,” she said.
“My fear of having to face a child who has been hit, injured, or worse still is unimaginable.”
School crossings are subsidised by the State Government, however, the Dunolly school crossing is too small to qualify.
Central Goldfields Shire Council CEO Peter Harriott previously said the Elgin Street crossing gets between zero and four students on average each day.
“Due to financial constraints, council can no longer continue to cover the cost of this State Government service,” he said.
However, the former supervisor Jackie Fankhauser said it costs around $14,000 a year for her to be the school crossing supervisor.
Prior to her redundancy, Ms Fankhauser was a constant along Elgin Street and an informal teacher of road awareness.
The importance of her work was recognised in a community nomi-nation for School Crossings Victoria’s Supervisor of the Year award in 2022.
“It’s more than just crossing kids,” she said.
Both Ms Fankhauser and Ms Lovel agreed the existing signage, or even more signage, was not the safest option on a busy road like Elgin Street.
They said vehicles are often speeding, some upwards of 60 km/h in a school zone, while heavy machinery and trucks aren’t an unfamiliar site.
“These vehicles are unpredictable. Their focus is on harvest, getting to the silo or getting back out to the paddock, their focus is not on a child who is possibly crossing the road,” Ms Lovel previously said.
Dunolly Police Senior Constable Nick Derecki said community members have expressed their concern for children’s safety along the “major truck route” particularly during grain season.
He said, when time allows, he’ll be a visible presence in the area to ensure people adhere to the road rules.
“I will continue to monitor the situation, continue to patrol the school zone and work with the school to address any concerns regarding the safety of the children,” he said.
Sen Con Derecki encouraged the community to slow down in school zones, pay attention to road signage and report any incidents regarding safety to the police.