To: 

The Briars Ward Councillors (Cr. Anthony Marsh, Cr. Paul Pingiaro) and Mark Stoemer: CEO of Mornington Peninsula Shire.

Safer Streets for Children & Families - A Footpath for Glenisla Drive
At Mount Martha Primary School, the safety of over 600 students is being compromised by a critical infrastructure failure.

A Critical Safety Gap

A critical safety gap on Glenisla Drive is putting children at risk. The footpath ends at the Mount Martha Primary School boundary, forcing students onto a narrow road verge and uneven nature strip during peak traffic. Hundreds of students use this route daily. The risk of serious injury and even death is foreseeable and preventable.

The Facts: Council Is Not Meeting Its Own Commitments

Strategic Objective 1.2:

The Council Plan 2025–29 promises "connected townships with integrated and accessible transport". A primary school route with a significant infrastructure hole is neither integrated nor accessible.

 
 "Towards Zero":

As Victoria’s first "Towards Zero" municipality, the Shire is committed to a "Safe System" approach, where the responsibility for safety shifts from the child to the infrastructure provider. 

The Shire’s own prioritisation framework ranks school‑adjacent footpaths and road‑safety risks as top priorities. Glenisla Drive clearly meets these criteria.

The Solution: A Ready-Made Budget Fix
The solution is straightforward: a continuous, sealed footpath along Glenisla Drive to complete the network.

This can be funded through existing 2026–27 approved programs:

Project ID 300091 - Small Missing Path link Projects: Specifically designed to "complete the pedestrian network". 
Project ID 300059 - Minor Road Infrastructure Risk Reduction: Dedicated to "school-area safety enhancements".

The budget pathway exists, and the project aligns directly with adopted strategies.

 
Our Request

We, the undersigned, call on the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council to:

1. Prioritise funding of Glenisla Drive footpath in the 2026–27 Capital Works Budget.
2. Construct a continuous, all‑weather footpath along the full length of Glenisla Drive.
3. Implement Safe System protections suitable for a 50 km/h road environment, ensuring physical separation between pedestrians and vehicles.
4. Act promptly. Families should not have to wait for an incident before essential safety infrastructure is delivered.  

Contact:

For questions and further correspondence please email Kyle & Jeremy at:

glenisla.footpath@gmail.com