Speed Camera Audit

Mr ODENWALDER (Elizabeth) (15:00): My question is to the Minister for Police. Minister, what criteria is the government using to determine if a safety camera or a mobile speed camera is used for safety purposes and not revenue raising?

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD (Gibson—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (15:00): I thank the member for his question. I do note that I am up past 100 now, so I've seen off the fast bowler and now I get the spinner. This is really good. I appreciate you asking that question because this is—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left and right! The minister has the call. Minister, you did ask for it. Please continue.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: Happily, sir. I do thank the member for the question because it's an important one, and it's another one of our 100-day election commitments delivered on time. It's great to have people engage with this. What we have done is get CASR from the University of Adelaide doing the audit, and they are a very well-respected road safety body, of course. As I said, they are out of the University of Adelaide and they will be doing the audit, working with another group to compile the results of that. We look forward to getting those results back. So it's not being done by me; it's being done by an independent body.

We are asking people to have their say through the YourSAy website, so I do invite the member for Elizabeth to get on board and have his say. He can just go to the website and click through the little icons there. It's really easy to do. Even the member for Enfield would like to get on board and do this. It's very tech savvy. You just click through, you can have a say, you can have your input on speed cameras right across the board—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —and it is a great way to engage the community. It has probably been the theme of what I have had to say. They gabble on the other side, but they don't want to do it. They don't want to engage with the community and they don't want to listen to the community, but on this side that's what we do: we listen to the community and we listen to what they have to say.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: Under the previous government, there was a real perception out there that speed cameras were just revenue raisers. That's how people felt. We know speed cameras have a very important role in keeping people safe on our roads, as do safety cameras as well. We want to make sure that the people of South Australia have the confidence in the system to know that they are in the right places, doing the right job. So when I got into this role I checked to see if an audit had been done in the last two, five, six or 16 years: no audit, chuck 'em in, have a look at 'em, go from there. So let's do that and let's take the community on the journey with us. Let's hear what they have to say.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: You know what? Anyone who gets pinched by a camera doesn't normally like it. I have to put my hand up and say that I've been done. But I tell you what—

An honourable member: Not as much as Tom Koutsantonis.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: Not as much as the former treasurer, you're right.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister will be heard in silence.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members will not interject.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: I did get picked up on a red light camera, going around a corner. I thought I was in the intersection before it went red—everyone does. I wasn't. The photo was taken; I got a fine. I tell you what: it changed the way I operate around that intersection. I genuinely slow down around that intersection now. I am incredibly cautious around that intersection. So when people get a chance to have a look at this—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —and they get a chance to be a part of the audit, they can go to the website. Feel free to do that: go to the website—YourSAy.com and speed audit—and you can actually have your input. The member for Reynell could do it, too. She has a lot to say at the moment, but maybe she could just get on her phone and get online. I am hearing gabble, gabble, gabble; I am saying input, input, input. Please have your say. Have your say and be part of the audit because it is good—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —and it engages with the community. We will release that report when it is done through the University of Adelaide and through the other experts. They will all get to have their say as well, SAPOL included. RAA and MAC, they will all get to have their say but, more importantly, the community can have their say as well.

The Hon. V.A. Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Deputy Premier is warned.