The State Government is partnering with Encounter Youth to monitor the Fleurieu Peninsula for the three day Schoolies Festival this weekend.
There will be a strong police presence at the event to enforce road rules, including driver distraction, and SAPOL’s Road Safety Section will visit the region’s caravan parks daily to offer voluntary breath testing.
There will also be road closures be in effect in key areas of Victor Harbor nightly from Friday 22 November to Sunday 24 November. View the Victor Harbor road closure map here.
Police will work with emergency services agencies to promote safe behaviours and encourage school leavers to look out for their friends.
Last year there was tragedy in Goolwa during the festival when Charlie Stevens, the son of Police Commissioner Grant Stevens, was hit and killed by a fellow school-leaver Dhirren Randhawa.
Randhawa, 19, has since been given a suspended sentence of one year, one month and seven days in prison, taking into account a 25 per cent discount for his guilty pleas. He has been disqualified from driving for 10 years.
Over 400 Encounter Youth Green Team volunteers will help run the festival and ensure the Class of 2024 celebrates their achievements in a positive way.
Buses will also be on offer for attendees, leaving Adelaide Central Bus Station at 10am and 2pm on Friday 22 November, stopping at all major accommodation venues from Encounter Bay to Port Elliott. On Monday, buses will return students to Adelaide.
There will also be a free bus circuit will run from Warland Reserve thourghout the weekend on five different routes stretching from Encounter Bay to Goolwa. Continuous shuttle services will operate during the hours of the festival and twice a day at 10am and 2pm, helping school leavers get to and from their accommodation.
For more information on Schoolies services, including bus timetable planning and parental support, visit encounteryouth.com.au/schoolies-festival/.
