QUAD BIKES

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (14:07): My question is to the Minister for Industrial Relations. Can the minister inform the house about what the government is doing to address the dangers associated with the unsafe use of quad bikes in South Australia?

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Planning, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (14:07): I thank the honourable member for Florey for her question. Members may or may not know that the honourable member for Florey has been quite a campaigner on this issue and, indeed, the honourable member raised this very matter with me at a meeting, about which I cannot say much, some weeks ago.

At that very important but confidential meeting, she suggested I turn my mind to this, and I did indeed do that. I spoke to Safe Work Australia to ask them how significant this problem was, and I was advised that there have been seven quad bike fatalities in Australia so far in this calendar year. Four of these deaths were in a work environment and others were in the context of recreational use. Last year, there were 19 fatalities across the country.

There have been a number of instances, I was disturbed to hear, where young children have been killed or seriously injured after being carried in an unsafe fashion on a quad bike. These incidents were traumatic for the families involved and obviously shocked local communities. Last month, again at the instigation of the member for Florey, through SafeWork SA I issued a warning to South Australians about the dangers of quad bikes through their unsafe use. Unfortunately, on the very same day as that warning appeared, SA Ambulance crews were called to a serious quad bike crash at Gillman.

It is clear that quad bikes have claimed far too many lives in this state and have caused many more horrific injuries. I recognise that quad bikes are used properly and safely on a daily basis on thousands of rural properties across this state. They are an important tool on a working farm. However, too often, the risks associated with their use are not property respected.

The South Australian government supports the proposed federal initiative QuadWatch that will bring together industry, manufacturers, users and governments to improve quad bike safety. At the state level, SafeWork SA has been working with other Australian regulators to develop strategies and control measures to address the risks associated with quad bikes. These measures include the mandatory wearing of approved helmets, a rider training course for farmers, and guidelines for experienced operators.

I am pleading with South Australians to take the risks seriously and to take all necessary steps, particularly in the case where young people are operating a quad bike, because one death is one death too many. Can I again thank the member for Florey for asking this very important question, and the government will continue to work with regulators to ensure that we address the dangers of quad bikes in South Australia.