Everyone knows that leaving large groups of teenagers unsupervised for 40 minutes or more leads to trouble. For years this has been the expectation placed on Helensburgh students attending Bulli high school. Throughout the years there have been multiple fights and other unwanted behaviour that traumatises not only those affected but the witnesses as well. A serious incident this week shows how easily it can happen and how it is likely to at some point happen again. Other students have been or felt intimidated by adults on the train- sometimes alcohol or drug affected or otherwise incapacitated- yelling or harassing them. This happened on the first after-school train trip for the current year 7s.

On top of the obvious safety and well-being concerns, the train commute alone is over 40 minutes, with further gaps waiting for the buses that don't align with the trains. As an example, in the afternoon it takes 1 hour and 20 minutes from when the bell rings at Bulli until my son walks in the door from the bus, the drive to Bulli takes 20 minutes on the highway. This greatly impacts on their ability to study, do their homework, see friends, rest, and participate in activities meaningful to them.

There are more than enough Helensburgh kids who would utilise this service if it was available. There is no better time than now to fix this situation that should have been fixed many years ago. With an upcoming election and a redistribution of boundaries, maybe we can finally remind the powers that be that Helensburgh should not be an afterthought or forgotten.