Local students awarded for innovative mobile phone campaign

Local students have been awarded for their innovative campaign to improve road safety among their young peers across Sunshine Coast roads.

Sunshine Coast Council was pleased to partner with TAFE Queensland and Department of Transport and Main Roads in selecting a finalist for the regional campaign which was launched by Re:act. 

As part of Re:act Regional program, graphic and design communication students are challenged to create campaigns that resonate with 17-25 year olds. 

TAFE Queensland's Nambour campus students Laura Cousins, Khizra Waqar and Jackson Kuhn’s campaign, Focus on the road not your phone, was the selected campaign for Nambour. 

Sunshine Coast Council Transport Portfolio Councillor David Law said Council was proud to be supporting initiatives like this alongside our road safety and industry partners in fostering a culture of safety and responsibility among young drivers.

“On behalf of myself and Council, I would like to congratulate the Nambour TAFE students who participated in this campaign challenge,” Cr Law said.

“Your creativity and dedication resulted in a campaign that will have a profound impact on our young drivers.

“By raising awareness and encouraging safer behaviours, we are collectively working towards reducing road trauma and saving lives on the Sunshine Coast.

“The commitment and collaboration demonstrated in this program is inspiring and I am confident that the positive effects will be felt throughout our community.”

Re:act Executive Director and founder Andrew Hardwick said funding from the Australian Government, under the National Road Safety Action Grants Program (NRSAGP), allowed the Re:act behaviour change road safety program to expand into regional areas in 2024 and 2025. In 2024, the topic was mobile phone distraction.

“Young Australians living in regional areas face unique challenges,” Mr Hardwick said. 

“As well as being inexperienced road users who are over-represented in road trauma, regional students don’t always have access to such real-world opportunities.

“Feedback shows that participating in Re:act has increased young people’s awareness and changed their behaviours on and around the roads, as well as influencing their own networks, while also providing a valuable experience, a fact reinforced by the consistently high standard of campaigns from participating students in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia.

“We are grateful for the support of the Australian Government, through the NRSAGP, and the commitment to the Re:act Regional road safety programs by industry and local government partners in this our first year.”