Speed Safety Cameras

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (15:18): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Road Safety a question about defective speed cameras.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD: It has been reported that the government receives some $52 million annually from speeding fines generated by mobile and fixed cameras alone, as well as by other means, such as handheld laser guns. A recent Family First freedom of information request revealed issues with the maintenance of speed cameras in South Australia. The data contained in the FOI revealed that more than 100 speed cameras experienced a fault and underwent repairs in the past 12 months. In one case repair took 29 days for a faulty camera to be fixed.

Faults included loose camera mounts and devices being out of alignment, as well as generally confirmed fault issues, including damaged cables and exposed wires. Many needed to be returned to the manufacturer for repairs, which in itself is not surprising. However, there are concerns that cameras which are in need of repair have not been maintained for extended periods, which could lead members of the public to be wrongly receiving fines. I am seeking assurance from the minister that that is not the case but, specifically, my questions to the minister are:

1. How will the government address the delay in repairing defective speed camera devices?

2. Does the government agree that faults in cameras can perhaps lead to incorrect readings of speed and, as a result, undeserved fines for members of the public?

3. Will the government alert affected motorists to the fact that the expiation notice which they received was issued by a camera experiencing technical difficulties at the time and therefore the fine may be in question?

4. What are the options for motorists who believe that they have been wrongly fined by a faulty camera? Does the government recommend appealing against the fine in court or should they contact SAPOL directly?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (15:20): I thank the honourable member for his question. The fact is that speed, unfortunately, does kill people. We still have too many accidents occurring on our roads, notwithstanding the fact that we have been doing better in respect to our road toll in South Australia in comparison to years gone by. The fact remains that people do still tragically die on our roads, and all too often speed is a contributing factor. Therefore, of course, we have to do something about it.

Policing remains an important tool when it comes to encouraging members of the community to ensure that when they are using our roads, they are doing it at a speed that is safe to both themselves and other road users. That, of course, means that in order to police roads we do need to use speed cameras. I am advised that there are currently 133 fixed safety cameras that are being used at our intersections, which can detect both red light and speed offences. I am of the understanding that, by and large, these cameras operate incredibly effectively and accurately.

I have not seen any particular reports or briefs that I have received from SAPOL that indicate that the speed cameras that are in use in South Australia have any sort of shortcomings when it comes to their accuracy. If the Hon. Mr Hood or any other person in this place, for that matter, has information to the contrary, particularly regarding any particular devices, of course I am more than happy to pass that on to SAPOL.

In regard to people who receive fines: if they are of the view or if they feel as though there are any genuine concerns that might be attached to their fine that indicate there may be some sort of anomaly or some shortcoming in the device that captured their speeding, of course there are processes available to those members of the community to appeal those speeding fines. They can follow the process through the courts. Of course, they do have the option of writing to myself, and I, in turn, can seek advice from the police commissioner regarding any particular cases.

All too often, my office receives inquiries from members of the public regarding their expiation notices regarding speeding or red light cameras, and I, in turn, can make inquiries on behalf of those constituents. More often than not they don't necessarily get a reply that is the one they are looking for. The police commissioner's job, first and foremost, is to enforce the law. As I said, to go back to my original point, all too often people are caught speeding simply because they are speeding.

Again, I do have confidence that the speed cameras that are in use in South Australia are compliant. They have to comply, as I understand it, with Australian standards. That is done to ensure that they are accurate and the community can have confidence with the regime that is in place. If there is any evidence to the contrary, of course I am all too happy to make inquiries on behalf of anybody that puts that evidence in front of me.