School zone hours are normally between 830am and 930am, and 230pm and 400pm school days, where drivers must drive no faster than 40km/h. Note that some schools have alternative hours.
NSW road safety said school zones are enforceable on all NSW government school days, including pupil free days.
“School zones operate and are enforced on pupil free days because pupil free days can vary from school to school,” a post on their Facebook page said. “Consistent operation of school zones aims to reduce driver confusion, which improves the safety of school children.”
Lalor Park brawl
Two men and two male teenagers were seriously injured in a clash in Lalor Park that saw baseball bats, metal sticks and knives brandished on the eve of Australia Day.
Not long after 500pm on January 25 a brawl took hold between a number of people at a reserve on Rose Place in Lalor Park, police said. By the time emergency services had arrived the participants had left in vehicles.
Police said a 21-year-old Oakhurst man arrived with a headwound shortly after the police secured a crime scene. He was treated at the location by NSW Ambulance before being taken to Blacktown hospital with bleeding on the brain. His brother, an 18-year-old man, also was taken to the hospital with facial and head injuries, police said.
A 16-year-old male rocked up to Blacktown hospital with head injuries and other wounds, while another 16-year-old male was taken to Westmead Children’s Hospital with a stomach stab wound, police said.
All four males were involved in the commotion and were in serious but stable conditions. Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward.
Child abduction thwarted
Four people have been charged over a child abduction in Stanhope Gardens.
Riverstone Police were told that a four-year-old girl was with her father, when an SUV stopped close by. After a man and woman alighted from the car, the woman took the girl and put her into the vehicle, which then drove off, police allege.
Police then teamed up with PolAir and the Traffic and Highway Patrol Command to locate the vehicle, which they found travelling northbound on the M1. The SUV was stopped when it reached Newcastle, where two men, aged 52 and 60 and two women aged 75 and 53 were arrested, police said. After appearing before Magistrate Cheetham at Raymond Terrace Court House near Newcastle, the matter will be heard for first appearance committal at Parramatta Local Court on March 23 for all four people. Only one has been refused bail.
The young girl was located by police inside the car uninjured, but in a distressed state and was later reunited back with her father.
Lewd act in Quakers Hill
A man has fronted court facing stalking and inappropriate sexual behaviour charges committed in Quakers Hill in early January, police said.
At around 400pm on January 10 a woman was walking along Jewel Street with her young son in a pram, when she noticed a man walking behind her. When she went into a nearby reserve, she saw the same man following her into the park and perform a sexual act before fleeing away, police said.
Riverstone police executed a warrant at a Quakers Hill home about 630pm the next day. A 23-year-old man was arrested and charged and was granted strict conditional bail to appear in Blacktown Local Court. The matter will be heard on March 16 for brief status committal before the Blacktown Local Court.
Anyone with information about the police incidents is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.
