Delays, red tape frustrate parents begging for school crossing

Residents in the town of Loch have been pushing for a school pedestrian crossing for years. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)

Parents at a Gippsland primary school have fought for years to have safe road crossings and flashing signs installed near the school.

A nine-year-old boy was struck by a car in late May while crossing the road to get to the school.

The local council has plans for safety improvements around the school, which will be finished in mid-2027.

Mel Sharples began pushing for a pedestrian crossing at Loch Primary School when her eldest son, Marley, was in prep.

Seven years later, Marley's graduated to high school and a new batch of preps have arrived, and yet, she's still pushing.

"For years the school has pleaded for safety upgrades, flashing 40 kilometre zone (signs), and a proper crossing," she said.

As it stands, there is no safe way to cross the road near the Gippsland primary school, 90 minutes south-east of Melbourne.

There's no parking at the school, so some parents stop on the side of the road to watch their kids into the classroom.

Others stop at a gravel spot near a church down the road, which was recently sold to developers to be turned into accommodation.

The local council has plans to build a pedestrian crossing at the school by the middle of next year, but some parents fear that's not enough — and could come too late.

Last month, a nine-year-old child was hit by a car which stopped on his foot after he attempted to cross the road.

"He simply was trying to get to the school, just to cross the road. That's all he was trying to do," Ms Sharples said.

And parents at the school say after years of lobbying and delays, the school needs more than just the crossing.

Loch Primary School, in South Gippsland, Victoria. (ABC News: Madeleine Stuchbery)

The slow moving wheels of bureaucracy remain a point of contention for some parents in the area, with many feeling their lodged concerns have been handballed between state government and local government departments for years.

Emails seen by the ABC show Loch Primary School staff and parents alerted the Department of Education and the South Gippsland Shire to their safety concerns as far back as 2020.

There is minimal parking available near the school, and no flashing signs to indicate a reduction in speeds during school times.

A spokesperson for Loch Primary School said the school has advocated for safety upgrades since 2018.

"We have been told we will not receive flashing lights due to budget restraints," the spokesperson said. "There is also insufficient parking for staff and p