Mayor leads call for public to be safe, not sorry this Easter

Council and its community partners have just one request of Sunshine Coast residents and visitors this holiday season: Be safe, not sorry this Easter.

Following the highly successful launch of the Holiday Safety Campaign in December last year, the Sunshine Coast Regional Council and its community partners today launched phase two of a public safety campaign for the Easter holiday period.

The campaign focuses on road safety, self-responsibility and community safety.

Mayor Bob Abbot launched the campaign at the Bruce Highway’s Chevallum Driver Reviver rest stop, reinforcing the campaign’s key message of ‘Be safe, not sorry this Easter’.

“The Sunshine Coast Easter Holiday Safety Campaign aims to build on the great ground work established over the Christmas campaign by continuing to work collaboratively with community partners in preventing traffic crashes, accidents, crime and public unrest over the holiday period,” Cr Abbot said.

“Already this year we have witnessed such tragedy on our roads. One road fatality is one too many, which is why Council and its community partners are determined to get the message out early this Easter holiday season and encourage extra caution on our roads.”

Community partners involved in the campaign include: QLD Police, QLD Transport, Translink, Lifeguards, Sunbus, Sunshine Coast Cabs, Surf Lifesavers, TravelSmart, Liquor Licensing, CALM Sunshine Coast Taskforce, Coastguard, SES, Qld Ambulance Service, Street Angels and Street Reach.

Council’s Executive Director for Community Services, Lisbet Dean, said the partnership between Council and the community proved to be a successful formula for the Sunshine Coast during the Christmas campaign.

“Each of us involved in the Holiday Safety Campaign want the same outcomes and by working together we can truly achieve some amazing results and help to ensure the safety of our residents and visitors during the hectic holiday season,” Ms Dean said.

To help reinforce the key messages of the Easter Holiday Safety Campaign, the Sunshine Coast Daily in conjunction with Council and its community partners has been running a daily competition with up to ten Roadcraft Driver Training courses up for grabs.

The Queensland Police Service’s Acting Superintendent Keith Schultz said the competition was a good way to promote the importance of safe driving practices on our roads.

“The ultimate goal of the Holiday Safety Campaign is to reduce the number of reported incidents over the holiday period with a particular emphasis on road safety this time around, and what better way to encourage a new way of thinking behind the wheel but to give away driver training courses,” Acting Superintendent Schultz said.

For more information on the Holiday Safety Campaign visit www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au.