LASER POINTERS

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (15:07): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Police a question about high-powered laser pointers.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: In recent times there have been a number of incidents across Australia where high-powered laser pointers have been misused. These pointers can be incredibly harmful, particularly if shone into the cockpit of an aeroplane or helicopter. Will the minister inform the council what actions the state government is taking to stop this type of senseless behaviour?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Police, Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning) (15:08): I thank the honourable member for his question. At last week's Ministerial Council for police and emergency management, state, territory and federal police ministers agreed to a national approach to tackle the misuse of high-powered laser pointers.

The state government and South Australia Police considered the misuse of high-powered laser pointers to be an issue of potential danger to the public. The high-powered versions of these laser pointers are capable of causing damage to the skin and eyes, and are openly available for purchase on the Internet. In recent times, Australia has experienced a spate of incidents involving the shining of high-powered laser pointers into aeroplanes, helicopters and vehicles causing temporary blindness and discomfort to pilots and others.

In April this year, an Adelaide man became one of the first people in Australia to be successfully prosecuted for shining a laser at an aircraft. This person was sentenced in the District Court to two years and three months' gaol after pleading guilty to prejudicing the safe operation of an aircraft. Other recent incidents in Australia include: on 7 June, a teenager was questioned in relation to the use of a high-powered laser beam being pointed at planes in Sydney; on 21 April, a police helicopter pilot, circling Guildford in New South Wales, was hit by a strong laser beam; on 28 March, six aircraft flying into Sydney airport were hit in a coordinated attack by blinding green lights in what safety officials said was the city's worst laser attack; on 20 March, a pilot was forced to take evasive action after being hit several times by a green laser beam while flying over Joondanna in Western Australia; and, in late 2007, a helicopter was targeted with a green laser pointer resulting in the main runway of the Gold Coast airport closing for an hour.

These types of gutless and cowardly attacks have to be stopped, and that is why the state government will act immediately to place high-powered laser pointers with a greater output of one milliwatt (in other words, if their output is greater than one milliwatt) on the South Australian schedule of prohibited weapons. This will coincide with the federal government's announcement last month to ban the importation of high-intensity laser pointers. These new laws will make it an offence to import high-powered lasers without a permit. Anyone seeking to import a laser pointer stronger than 1 milliwatt will have to have an appropriate exemption, which will work in the same way as for other restricted goods. This federal government ban will take effect on 1 July 2008.

These high-powered lasers can be incredibly harmful, particularly if shone into the cockpits of aeroplanes or cabins of other high-powered vehicles, potentially leading to widespread damage or even death. One laser pointer on the market claims to have a range of 22 kilometres and is able to melt plastic and light cigars. Laser damage to the eye can be permanent and can be caused instantaneously. Green laser pointers are being used in most of these incidents, and they differ from their red counterparts in that the green beam is visible to the operator. This makes them far easier to aim at a fast-moving aircraft and keep on the target. The danger to pilots is greatly enhanced if the beam is kept focused for a long length of time. Generally, green lasers also have a longer range.

There are no readily apparent reasons for the general public to possess or use these types of high-powered laser pointers; however, the state government is well aware that there are legitimate bodies and organisations—such as surveyors, scientists, engineers and astronomers—that require them, and for that reason the proposed amendments will allow these types of groups to seek exemption. Once these high-powered lasers are banned in South Australia anyone caught in possession of, or using, the prohibited item will face a maximum penalty of $10,000 or imprisonment for two years.

Hundreds of aircraft across Australia are targeted every year, and we must act to stop this type of idiotic behaviour. I am confident that prohibiting these types of laser pointers and working together with our federal, state and territory counterparts will enable us to reduce these types of incidents.