Heavy Vehicles

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright) (14:55): My question is to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure. Can the minister update the house on further safety measures for the heavy vehicle industry which were progressed at the recent Transport and Infrastructure Council meeting held in Adelaide?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: No, it is one sentence and it is in the form of a question.

An honourable member: It was a very long question.

The SPEAKER: No, the member for Schubert's question was preceded by a rather a large slab of text quoted. The minister.

The Hon. J.M. Rankine interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Wright is called to order. Minister.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister Assisting the Minister for Planning, Minister Assisting the Minister for Housing and Urban Development) (14:55): I thank the member for her well-crafted question. Nearly two weeks ago I had the pleasure of hosting the fourth meeting of the Transport and Infrastructure Council at Adelaide Oval. The Transport and Infrastructure Council includes transport, infrastructure and planning ministers from the commonwealth, states and territories, but also New Zealand and the Australian Local Government Association. The meeting was also attended by national stakeholders in the heavy vehicle industry, and I personally invited local industry representatives from the South Australian Road Transport Association and the Livestock and Rural Transporters Association of South Australia.

As I have reported to the house previously, a key recent focus on the council has been heavy vehicle safety. The strong focus has come from both South Australia and New South Wales, particularly from the roads minister in New South Wales, Duncan Gay, following the horrific incident they experienced with Cootes Transport, and particularly given the incidents that we have seen on the South Eastern Freeway.

In May of this year, at the previous meeting, South Australia secured a commitment from transport ministers to fast-track the development and introduction of new roadworthiness laws for heavy vehicles. I am pleased to report that the council in Adelaide agreed to specific measures to introduce the primary duty of care—

Mr KNOLL: Point of order, Mr Speaker: the minister is referring to a communiqué that is on the Transport and Infrastructure Council's website.

The Hon. J.M. Rankine interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Wright is warned. Could the member for Schubert email it to me.

Mr KNOLL: It's already there, sir.

The SPEAKER: Splendid.

Mr KNOLL: I anticipated your needs quite succinctly.

The SPEAKER: I will check it against delivery.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Thank you, Mr Speaker—perhaps as publicly available on the internet as the Auditor-General's Report.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: It's not on the website? Is that right? I am pleased to report that the council in Adelaide agreed to—

Mr Goldsworthy interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Kavel is out of control. I call him to order.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: I appreciate that matters of road safety involving heavy vehicles aren't important to the opposition, but they are to us.

I am pleased to report that the council in Adelaide agreed to specific measures to introduce a primary duty of care on operators, prime contractors and employers in new chain of responsibility laws with respect to roadworthiness. A bill will now be presented to transport ministers in May for endorsement with a view to its introduction in the second half of next year in Queensland, as host jurisdiction and lead legislator for the national heavy vehicle law.

The introduction of these new laws will place new responsibilities along the supply chain to ensure that heavy vehicles that are being put on our roads are roadworthy. Noncompliance with these laws will lead to significant penalties. This is a significant national development in heavy vehicle safety, and South Australians and, as I mentioned earlier, people residing in New South Wales recently know firsthand the devastating impacts that unroadworthy trucks can cause on our roads.

I would specifically like to thank the New South Wales roads minister, Duncan Gay, for his unwavering support for these new laws, and I would also like to recognise the leadership taken by local industry representatives from those organisations I mentioned earlier, Mr Steve Shearer and Mr David Smith, for their strong representation in favour of these new laws on behalf of the heavy vehicle industry here in this state. It should also be noted that the council also agreed to progress the development of a more harmonised and risk-based heavy vehicle inspection regime.

Given South Australia's location, we know that it's critical that we have a national framework for vehicle inspections to ensure that the standard of vehicles coming across from interstate jurisdictions is satisfactory. South Australia will continue to support the development of a national-based inspection regime as well as what we've previously announced, and that's the development of a new state-based periodic inspection regime.

I would like to thank my department for their organisation of such a successful event. The feedback from interstate ministers on the council was very positive, in particular their glowing endorsement of Adelaide Oval as world-class infrastructure.