WA Liberals pledge $1 million to improve pedestrian safety along Bussell Highway between Dalyellup and Gelorup

The WA Liberal Party has pledged $1 million to improve pedestrian safety along Bussell Highway between Dalyellup and Gelorup if elected at the March state election. Planned upgrades include a signal pedestrian crossing at Norton Promenade, a 710m shared pedestrian and cycling pathway along the east side of Bussell Highway, and a controlled pedestrian and cyclist crossing near Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School. The announcement was made after WA Liberal candidate for Bunbury Heather Reid met with local school leaders and parents concerned about dangerous crossings in the area. Ms Reid said she had consulted Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School principal Dr Matthew O’Brien, other local school representatives, Main Roads WA, and the Shire of Capel. “Our schools, parents and community leaders have called for action — the current crossings are unsafe, putting children at risk every day,” Ms Reid said. “This commitment will ensure children can walk and cycle, safely reducing the need for parents to drive short distances.” Ms Reid said despite the new Wilman Wadandi Highway reducing traffic, safety concerns remained, and a growing population would only exacerbate the issue. She said the upgrades would take the pressure off parents and enable children to become more independent. Resident Carlie Gelati said the upgrades would make her life less stressful if she decided to send her children to a school in the area. “It will be very valuable for the community ,and for Dalyellup,” she said. The final designs for the project will be based on traffic data collected by Main Roads between February and April. Ms Reid said without proper infrastructure, crossing at Bussell Highway would remain a risk. “This investment will improve safety, reduce congestion, and support active transport,” she said. “This project is about protecting our children and making our community safer.”