‘Hijacked’: Kedron residents reject school traffic precinct plan

October 30, 2026 — 6:00amKedron residents are rallying against plans to strip street parking from their neighbourhood in response to a council bid to ease congestion and hazardous driving around three schools.A draft plan to ease congestion around Padua College, sister school Mount Alvernia College, and St Anthony’s Primary School was unveiled in mid-October, proposing sweeping changes to about eight streets in the northern Brisbane suburb.While Brisbane City Council said it had consulted the schools and community, Tony Robertson, who lives in a property abutting one of the schools, said locals felt overlooked by the changes.Kedron resident Tony Robertson (centre right) gathered with neighbours outside a consultation pop-up session on Wednesday for the proposed street rule changes in his community.Catherine Strohfeldt“On paper the plans look harmless, however, in practice it is ironically going to make the area [less safe],” he said.Among tweaks to speed limits, raised pedestrian crossings and wider footpaths, the plan also introduced a one-way street and parking restrictions that would affect residents outside the school term and across weekends.Residents, including Robertson, told this masthead at school pick-up and drop-off times, cars regularly stopped in no standing zones, parked across driveways, and drove on the wrong side of the road to skip queues.Kedron residents said some drivers attempted to skip school pick-up queues by driving up the wrong side of the road.“New changes won’t stop this behaviour,” Robertson said.“The consultation team explained on Sunday that apart from a short period [immediately after] when the changes are made they won’t be able to enforce it going forward.”When asked if the proposed changes would be accompanied by more parking inspectors or a police presence, infrastructure chair Ryan Murphy did not provide a direct response.“Our priority is getting the balance right between safer streets for local families and the needs of residents who live in the area,” he said.Murphy said the council was “consulting before making final decisions”.“Community consultation isn’t about asking people to agree with every proposal,” he said. “It’s about listening to their concerns and making changes where needed.”The council received almost 250 pieces of feedback since unveiling the draft proposal on October 14, and had surveyed residents and schools across one month in late 2024.However, residents speaking to this masthead said they felt consultation sessions were a one-sided conversation.Long-time local Deb Wood said she felt the project was “hijacked” by council.The Brisbane City Council released a draft plan for its Kedron safer school precinct project on October 14.Brisbane City Council“They’ve created a divide between our community – between the schools and the residents,” she said.Robertson, Wood, and other neighbours said they had questioned council workers at consultation pop-up sessions for the plan, asking they could receive parking exemptions but were advised it was unlikely.Wood said she had been told visitors – including family and trades workers – would need to park in streets without the same restrictions.Lee Western lives on a street on the southern end of the suburb affected by Padua College.He said he had needed council to create a no-parking zone outside his home so he could turn into his driveway.“During school hours, our street is heavily congested with parked vehicles belonging to senior students,” Western said.Kedron resident Lee Western.Lee Western“Waste collection trucks are routinely obstructed, and larger vehicles, including buses, have been forced to reverse out of the street due to poor access.”Western said he had also previously reported students’ reckless driving students to the school and law enforcement.When asked about reports of dangerous student driving, Padua College said it had received three complaints about student driving in 2026.“We take these concerns seriously and work directly with members of the local community, students and their families to address them,” a college spokesperson said.The spokesperson said the school’s “established processes to encourage responsible student driving” included registering students and their vehicles to the school, and requiring parental permission.The Brisbane City Council held three community consultation sessions in late October.Catherine StrohfeldtWhile the school did not provide on-site parking for students or families, it offered 76 staff car parks and designated accessible parking spaces.“Designated drop-off and pick-up areas are available for families, but these are not parking facilities,” the spokesperson said.Mount Alvernia College – which has two pick-up and drop-off zone – opened 25 additional on-site car parks this year, and expected to increase to 79 parks by March.“The college is also well serviced by public transport and has increased its private bus services to encourage greater use of bus transport to and from school,” a spokesperson said.The two Franciscan schools jointly owned a quarry site, but informed this masthead the property was part of future development plans.Mount Alvernia said the school also needed to consider safe access to the school from the site, located two blocks away.More:SchoolsFor subscribersCity councilTrafficEducationBrisbaneFrom our partners