Safety for everyone on and around our roads is one of the issues raised with me consistently by members of our community. They are concerned because it affects everyone everywhere in the Inner West, when they cross the road to get to the shops, walk to the station or simply try to move safely around their own neighbourhood. The risk is real, and the data backs that up. Transport for NSW data shows that between 2020 and 2024, 28 per cent of serious casualties in the Summer Hill electorate were pedestrians. That is why pedestrian safety is not a side issue. It sits at the heart of road safety. National Road Safety Week asks us to pause, reflect and act, and challenges us, including governments, to take responsibility for protecting the most vulnerable road users. That is exactly what my community expects.

Major speed reductions are being rolled out across the inner west, reducing roads from 50 kilometres per hour to 40 kilometres per hour and lowering higher speed roads where appropriate. That work aligns with Inner West Council's InnerWest@40 program because we know that slower speeds save lives. Transport for NSW evidence shows that speed limits of 40 kilometres per hour in high-pedestrian areas deliver significant reductions in serious casualties, improving safety for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers alike on our roads. Those benefits are strongest on roads with high foot traffic, like Liverpool Road in Ashfield. Liverpool Road is not just a traffic corridor; it is a high street lined with many small businesses, great restaurants, cafes, shops, schools, community services and churches. People walk along the road to get to the train station, cross it to get to the shops and use it in every part of their day.

Reducing the speed limit on Liverpool Road to 40 kilometres per hour is a practical step that puts people first. Importantly, safer speeds do not come at the expense of local businesses. Evidence shows that slower, calmer streets support local economies, making it easier for people to walk, linger and spend more time, and ultimately spend more money, in local businesses. My community is asking for practical and evidence‑based change that focuses on making streets safer and more liveable.

One of the places where pedestrian safety matters most, of course, is around our local schools. After years of sustained advocacy by parents, carers, teachers and local residents, we have made a critical change around Wilkins Public School and Marrickville High School. Finally, the school zones around both those schools have been extended and properly linked. This upgrade creates a larger 40 kilometres per hour school zone during peak times and better connected primary and high school zones, so it is safer for kids of all ages to walk, ride and scoot between those two campuses. Of course, it also improves clarity for drivers moving along Sydenham Road and the other roads in the area. It is a great outcome for everyone. I congratulate the many residents who campaigned for a long time on that critical change.

Pedestrian safety is also shaped by how our streets function day to day. That is why we are delivering upgrades on the ground that residents have consistently raised with me. For example, we are investing $10 million in Sydenham Road to deliver safer intersections, better footpaths and lower speeds, making a more welcoming main street for everyone. We are doing critical works on Holden Street and Norton Street in Ashfield to improve safety and reliability. We have done stormwater works as well to make it usable year round, not just when it is dry. We are also installing traffic lights at Frederick Street and John Street, responding to critical and devastating accidents for the community, but also allowing kids to get across the major road to the school and childcare centre.

When almost one-third of serious road casualties in my Summer Hill electorate are pedestrians, we have a responsibility to act—and that is exactly what the Government is doing. As we head into National Road Safety Week, the message is really clear: Drive so others survive. That is what my community expects, and that is exactly what we must deliver.