• September 2007 - Active Transport
• May 2007 - 'Healthy Kids Check'

September 07 – Active transport 

Walking and cycling to school are widely recognised to promote wellbeing and confidence in children by encouraging physical activity and social interaction. They also improve the local area by reducing traffic congestion and pollution and by building stronger and safer neighbourhoods.

The Parents Jury surveyed it's members in September 2007 about how their children get to school every day, their reasons for choosing this type of transport and if they would like to see any changes made to their local neighbourhoods that would encourage children to use active transport on a regular basis.

1. How does your child travel to school during a typical week (10 trips)?
- Walk - 45%
- Cycle - 3%
- Car - 41%
- Train/tram/bus - 11%

2. If your child does not walk or cycle to school, what are the barriers stopping them from doing so?
- Distance - 37%
- Lack of time - 18%
- Concerns about stranger danger - 10%
- Concerns about traffic - 22%
- Unable due to disability - 2%
- Lack of motivation - 2%
- Other (inconvenient to walk) - 8%

If you feel that it is unsafe for your child to walk or cycle to school, please specify the safety issues that concern you?
Sample of responses:
- Absence of, or concerns about traffic light/pedestrian crossing safety
- No safe cycling/walking paths
- Children too young to walk alone

3. Is there a walking school bus (organised group of children walking to school with designated walk leaders) or pedal pod (cycling version of the walking school bus) in your area?
- Yes - 11%
- No - 73%
- Don't know - 16%

4. If there was a walking school bus or pedal pod in your area would you allow your child to take it to school?
- Yes - 58%
- No - 26%
- Don't know - 16%

5. If you have a walking school bus operating in your area and have not registered your child/children, please provide your reasons.
Sample of responses:
- The school is close, so no need to join walking/cycling group
- Prefer the flexibility of being independent from the walking/cycling group.

6. Approximately how many km's away do you live from the school?
<1 km - 8%
1-2km - 38%
3-5km - 27%
6-10km - 19%
>10km - 6%   

Would you like to provide any additional comments regarding the way your child travels to school?
Sample of responses:
- "I don't mind them catching the bus as this teaches them to be responsible and independent."
- "Pedestrian crossing and traffic lights represent the greatest danger"..."I drum into them you have to look into the driver's eyes before you cross." 
- "Families that have lived so close for so long but did not know each other existed are now close friends [due to walking/cycling groups]."
- "If there was a direct bus I would be happy for them to travel that way, but the buses are infrequent and require a change at a rather sleazy interchange."
- "My children are too young to cycle to school unsupervised."
- "These older Canberra suburbs are fantastic examples of planning for children's ‘walkability'."
- "Sporting/dance commitments after school often mean they have to be picked up and transported to another location."
- "There are Lollypop people at the two busy roads that each of them have to cross, as well as a very well run safety house program in the area."
- "We just need to be better organised, as my daughter would enjoy walking to school and my son (pre-schooler) would get used to it!"

May 07 – ‘Healthy Kids Check’

Coalition policy proposals
The 2007 federal budget includes $124.4 million to continue the Active After-Schools Communities program to be run in 3,250 schools by the end of the year, and $3 million allocated to the CSIRO to construct a ‘Wellbeing Plan' for children to provide practical assistance to parents on healthy eating and physical activity, and the publication of a CSIRO diet book specifically for children. The Wellbeing Plan will also include updates to the Australian dietary guidelines for adults and children.

Labor policy proposals
Labor has proposed that if they form the next government all Australian children will receive a ‘Healthy Kids Check' when they start school. This will be an assessment of the child's basic health including teeth, hearing, balance, sight, healthy development and growth. Labor is also planning to provide a ‘Healthy Habits for Life' guide for all parents to provide them with clear and practical advice.

1. Do you think it is a good idea for all children to be given a health check when they start school?
- Yes 89%
- No 7%
- Don't know 4%

2. Do you think that the children's health check should be repeated at regular intervals throughout a child's school life?
- Yes 85%
- No 9%
- Don't know 6%

3. What do you think should be included in a health check for all children when they start school?
A) Fitness Levels
- Yes 72%
- No 19%
- Don't know 3%

B) Nutrition
- Yes 86%
- No 6%
- Don't know 7%

C) physical activity habits
- Yes 85%
- No 6%
- Don't know7%

4. Do you think the government should be putting $124.4 million in to after school activity programs?
- Yes 60%
- No 20%
- Don't know 20%

5. Do you think it is a good idea for the government to provide every parent with a clear and practical information kit about their child's health and development when they start school?
- Yes 74%
- No 18%
- Don't know 8%

6. Should the kit include information on the following areas?
- Nutrition 80%
- Physical activity habits 80%
- Time spent watching TV/playing video games 80%
- Teaching your child about nutrition and cooking 80%

Neither party currently has a policy in place to reduce junk food advertising to children. Would you like to see a proposal that promises to ban the advertising of unhealthy food and beverages during TV programs where children make up a high percentage of the viewing audience?
- Yes 97%
- No 3%
- Don't know 0%