Is Dominey Reserve at Bexley safe enough? A community is demanding action. The push is being led by nearby early learning centre, Rawson St Kids. Picture supplied

A Bexley early learning centre is leading a community push for urgent safety upgrades at a nearby park, citing serious concerns over busy roads and a lack of secure fencing.

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Staff at Rawson St Kids, who regularly use Dominey Reserve for excursions and outdoor learning, have launched a community petition calling on Bayside Council to install secure fencing around the park. The initiative has quickly gained traction among families and residents who share growing anxieties about child safety in the high-traffic area.

Centre director Natali Adioski said the open nature of the reserve makes supervising young children a constant challenge, forcing the centre to alter how it operates.

"When we go there I need to have extra educators come along," Ms Adioski said. "There are no gates or fencing around the park so it just makes it that little bit harder to supervise the children to make sure they're completely safe."

The convenient location directly across the road makes the reserve an invaluable resource for the small centre, which uses the space once or twice a month for fine motor skill development, exploring, and extracurricular programs like Soccer Joeys and GrowFit. However, the proximity of the playground to oncoming traffic remains a constant worry for staff and parents alike.

A childcare centre is leading a push to make Dominey Reserve safer for kids. Picture supplied

"The road access is very close to the climbing equipment," Ms Adioski said. "It's scary not only for us as educators but also for our families. Bexley is such a high traffic area. It's kind of become a cut-through area for traffic trying to get past Forest Road."

The safety risks limit how the centre uses the public space. While they take up to 20 children at a time, including babies, they are forced to stagger the excursions in stages, requiring up to five educators for larger groups to maintain a safe environment.

"We are only a small centre so to be able to use the park more often would be phenomenal," Ms Adioski said. "We have permission from families to take children to this space but we want to ensure it's extra safe and that will be beneficial for everybody."

Ms Adioski said conversations with residents revealed that the dangers persist well into the weekends, with neighbours reporting numerous "dangerous situations" involving children using the unfenced park. She said a Bayside Council representative plans to meet with her to directly discuss the proposed safety measures and potentially table the issue at an upcoming council meeting.

Growing fears for child safety has prompted a petition for a Bexley park. Picture supplied