Motor Vehicles (Motor Bike Driver Licensing) Amendment Bill

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 17 February 2021.)

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (16:24): This bill proposes welcome changes to motorcycle licensing that will make our roads safer. Ultimately, it may even save the lives of young and inexperienced riders. It lifts the age at which they can obtain a learner's permit from 16 to 18 and introduces a graduated licensing system. A full licence cannot be obtained until 19, and there are provisions for exceptions for those in regional areas.

While the opposition is prepared to support this bill without amendment, it notes that this bill and these issues have faced the same fate as many others under this government. Just like with sentencing discounts, an expert report recommended changes to motorcycle licences. Just like with guilty plea sentencing discounts, the expert report sat in a Liberal minister's office for many months and, just like the guilty plea sentencing discounts, the opposition moved legislation based on the sentencing report, and just like that the government voted against the legislation based on their own expert reports. Again, like the sentencing guilty plea discounts, the government then took months to move their own legislation through parliament.

Whilst this reform is welcome, it is coming too late. In offering support for this bill, I note the work of the member for Elizabeth in another place, who moved a similar bill in both 2019 and 2020. The work of this parliament is done by all of us and it is noted that without the opposition moving bills many of these issues may not have been acted on by the government. The Labor opposition encourages the government to move quickly on issues that present a risk to public safety, like this one and like with the guilty plea sentencing discounts.

The Hon. M.C. PARNELL (16:26): The Greens will support this bill to introduce measures aimed at enhancing safety on our roads, both for motorcyclists and for other road users. The bill makes sensible changes to the graduated licensing system for motorcyclists based on recommendations from Adelaide University's Centre for Automotive Safety Research, with a particular focus on novice riders.

New safety measures include increasing the minimum age for both the motorcycle learner's permit and the R-date intermediate licence, introducing restrictions on towing and pillion sidecar passengers, and a new night-time riding curfew. There are also some sensible exemptions for those in prescribed regional areas who require transport for the purposes of tertiary or vocational education, work and sporting participation.

I note that this bill will result in stricter requirements for motorcyclists than those that exist in some other Australian jurisdictions. However, it is my view that a stronger response, in line with that taken by Victoria, is justified from a public safety perspective. The Centre for Automotive Safety Research report maintains that such measures are necessary given the higher risk of serious injury or fatality for motorcyclists and the over-representation of younger riders in these numbers.

The report notes that in South Australia between 2012 and 2016 road fatalities were twice as likely for motorcyclists. Given the greater dangers posed by using a motorcycle, it makes sense to impose stricter licensing processes on novice riders who are at even greater risk. These amendments should go some way to curbing the statistics relating to motorcycle injuries and fatalities. The process for obtaining a motorcycle licence will be longer and more rigorous, ensuring that those who ride motorbikes on our roads are more prepared. This in turn will make the roads safer for riders and all other users.

I note that there is one set of amendments on file that I have in the name of the Hon. Connie Bonaros. I look forward to the committee stage of the debate. I will say that they look to be very sensible amendments, but I will listen to the debate and hear whether other members have different perspectives.

The Hon. C. BONAROS (16:29): I rise to speak on behalf of SA-Best on the bill, which we know incorporates a number of long overdue reforms to our motorbike Graduated Licensing Scheme. I say long overdue because far too many motorcyclists are dying or sustaining serious injuries on our roads. We need to tackle this from the ground up, starting with protecting and educating our young, inexperienced riders.

Between 2015 and 2019, motorcyclists made up 15 per cent of South Australian fatalities and 19 per cent of serious injuries, a significant over-representation considering that only about 4 per cent of registered vehicles were motorbikes. Of those, 19 were unlicensed and clearly doing the wrong thing—a cohort not within the scope of this particular bill—six fatalities had learner's permits and a further four held R-date licences.

Every single life lost on our roads is an absolute tragedy, but it is particularly heartbreaking for those parents who have to bury their children as a result of a road accident. I, for one, cannot begin to fathom that grief. The 2017 year was a particularly horrific year, when 24 South Australian motorcyclists lost their lives. It was the catalyst for the University of Adelaide's Centre for Automotive Safety Research review of the South Australian Graduated Licensing Scheme for motorcyclists.

Many of the review's recommendations are common sense and have, thankfully, been adopted in this bill. It is disappointing that it has taken so long for common sense to prevail, even when there was a bill introduced by the opposition in May 2019, but did not progress as the government did not support that bill. So here we are now, some two years later, finally trying to implement these changes. In the meantime, motorcyclists, young and old, have continued to die on our roads.

On 13 February, only a couple of weeks ago, a 16-year-old Barossa Valley teenager became the fifth motorcyclist to die on a South Australian road this year. Again, it is extraordinarily heartbreaking. At the time, motorcyclists represented a staggering 50 per cent of the death toll. There appears to be consensus that the current Graduated Licensing Scheme for novice motorbike drivers needs to be finetuned. We need to reduce the number of families who are on the receiving end of a life-changing knock at the door. It is one of my greatest fears and I know I am not alone amongst the parents, aunties, uncles and loved ones in terms of that fear.

We recognise absolutely that it is impossible to wrap teenagers in cotton wool but it is in our power to legislate for common sense. Raising the age of first-time riders, for me, is the obvious starting point. The current blanket 16-year-old minimum is, broadly speaking, far too young and I am glad that the bill sets a new minimum age at 18 for a learner's permit. A 17 year old will still be able to get a motorbike licence if they have a probationary car licence and a 16 year old living in a prescribed region will still be able to get their motorbike licence at 16 to use for certain purposes like employment, tertiary education and sport.

I appreciate there are broader psychological issues in restricting the mobility of regional teenagers who may be disadvantaged by the cost, availability and reliability of transport options. Personally, though, I still think it is too young, and the condition of some of our regional roads is not reassuring at all, but I understand that there is broad support for this proposal, especially from our regional members. I just hope that we are doing everything we can to ensure that we are equipping those drivers with the skills they need once they step foot on our roads.

Curiously, the exemption that has been carved out for the regional 16 year olds prohibits riding to school but not to sport. We did ask the question: if the sport was held at the same school they attend whether they would be able to drive to that sport and the answer was no, but if the sport was at a different location altogether then the answer would be yes, so there are some slight inconsistencies or loopholes or whatever you want to call them.

There are some things that I think we have tried as best we can to legislate for in this bill that probably could have been thought through a little bit more. Again, I acknowledge the reasons for this and I do think this point requires some clarification when we work through the committee stage debate of this because any parent of a teenager can tell you that the lines can be easily blurred.

As I said, sport may be school-sponsored. It might be held immediately after the end of the school day, or it might be run by a sporting club on school grounds or held at a neighbouring high school. Based on the advice that I have been given, if it was held at another location it would be okay, but if it was held on the school location it would not. Again, I will be asking some questions on this in the committee stage for the benefit of this cohort to avoid any confusion going forward when those young people get on the roads.

The bill makes a number of other very practical enhancements to the current scheme. I will not address all of them today. There have been some very thorough contributions in both places on the individual clauses, but I think what is seriously lacking in this bill is an overhaul of novice motorbike rider education and training. The stakeholders I have spoken to certainly share our concerns.

The Motorcycle Riders Association of South Australia has been calling for improvements for a number of years. The mother of 19-year-old Harry Taplin-Barton, who was tragically killed in October last year in the Adelaide Hills when his bike collided with a tree, has also been actively campaigning for reforms. I have met with and spoken to the RAA, which also would welcome improvements in this space.

We have, as the Hon. Mark Parnell has indicated, filed amendments seeking to address the inadequacy of the current scheme for new learner riders and returning riders who have not held a motorbike licence in the preceding five years. The amendments specifically refer to compliance with the motorbike training prescribed by the regulations. It will give the government room to adequately consult on how best to improve the training requirements.

I was keen to see that incorporated into this bill, but I will take the government at its word that it has been working on this for some time and it has not been part of the two-year consultation phase that they have undertaken, so they have opted to deal with that as a separate measure. I think, given that they have opted to deal with that as a separate measure, there is absolutely nothing preventing us from incorporating that into a set of regulations that this parliament can then review. That is what my amendments seek to achieve.

For those reasons, we did not want to see the bill delayed while we landed on specific training amendments. We recognise that every day it sits idle is a day another life could be lost on our roads and therefore we support this bill's swift passage. As I said, I understand from our briefing with the government they are already working on an improved scheme. Nevertheless, we have indicated we would like a firm undertaking on the record that this will be done and that it will not take another three years, God forbid. Literally, lives are depending on it.

Currently, a learner motorbike driver's training is limited to a $385 RiderSafe level 1 basic training course. Over a mere half day, basic skills such as braking, cornering and riding in a straight line are canvassed in a controlled, off-road environment. A 16 year old who completes this and the online hazard perception test can then set off solo on an approved motorbike at great risk to both themselves and other road users. They basically get their experience on-road amongst other motor vehicle users. In my view, the bill does not go far enough to require a learner motorbike licence holder to hold a probationary car licence as a prerequisite, as is the case in Queensland.

That is something I certainly would have liked to see. I do not think there is much appetite for that amongst stakeholders I have spoken to to date. I have to say, I was quite surprised to learn that there is no requirement to hold a motor vehicle learner's permit before you can actually make the application for a motorcycle licence. I strongly believe that spending a minimum of 75 hours on the road in a car with a supervising instructor, observing the Road Rules and experiencing different traffic and road conditions is a much better foundation for a novice motorbike rider. This is an example of the broader training requirements we hope to see in the regulations, obviously varied for the uniqueness of the motorbike.

I quickly mention there are other recommendations that were not adopted, that on the face of it also appear to be common sense, such as the requirement for learner riders to wear highly visible clothing. I note that this was in the opposition's bill but it is not one of the measures that was picked up by the government. I was told that that is basically because there is not much of an appetite to have to wear a high-vis vest when you are on a motorbike and there is not much appetite to have to pay for a high-vis vest and there is not much direction about what kind of high-vis vest you would have to wear.

Frankly, I did not buy any of those arguments. I think that is one of the recommendations that we certainly should have been looking at and I am keen to see whether it will also make its way into those regulations, because there is no question that it would enhance visibility and further alert other road users to be cautious of learner riders' inexperience.

We need something to make us, as motor vehicle users, aware of someone's inexperience on the roads. The government has suggested that clearly defining what actually constitutes high-visibility clothing is problematic, as I have said, but frankly I am not convinced by that argument. It certainly has not prevented Victoria from legislating a high-visibility requirement. It certainly has not prevented a recommendation being made in the first place.

In any event, we are satisfied this bill is a positive first step. As I said, I will speak more to the amendments when I move them in terms of their actual purpose, because, in addition to novice riders, there are some other riders who I think need to fall within the realms of those regulations as well. We look forward to the support of this place for the SA-Best amendments that we hope will have some desired effect. Rest assured, if there is no action, we will bring this issue back before parliament. Right now, the ball is in the government's court to satisfy us all that that is unnecessary. With those words, I will seek to further clarify the amendments in relation to those rider groups when we get to them.

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (16:40): I rise today to speak to the Motor Vehicles (Motor Bike Driver Licensing) Amendment Bill 2020, as have the previous speakers. The bill will enable us to implement an improved Graduated Licensing Scheme (GLS) for motorcycle riders in South Australia. The importance of such a scheme is highlighted by the number of motorcyclist fatalities increasing from eight in 2016 to 24 in 2017—a 300 per cent increase. This terrible year for motorcycle riders on our roads prompted a report outlining key elements of an improved GLS, conducted by the University of Adelaide’s Centre for Automotive Safety Research, or CASR because you need lots of acronyms.

It is alarming that between 2015 and 2019 the trend in young rider casualties, including fatalities and serious injuries, increased by an average of 12.5 per cent. This compares with the trend in young driver casualties decreasing by an average of 7.7 per cent over the same period. So young riders up 12.5 per cent; young drivers down 7.7 per cent. Research indicates that riders of motorcycles have a higher risk of injury and fatalities than other road users. It comes as no surprise that research also indicates that novice motorcyclists have a higher risk of crashing than more experienced riders, as one might expect.

This has led to an over-representation of motorcyclists losing their lives on our roads. Indeed, between 2015 and 2019, motorcycles on average accounted for 4 per cent of all registered vehicles; however, motorcycle riders accounted for some 15 per cent of all road fatalities and 19 per cent of serious injuries. Data also shows that young riders in the 16 to 19-year-old age group are particularly vulnerable. This age bracket accounted for approximately 5 per cent of the South Australian population, yet it also accounted for some 10.3 per cent of all the motorcyclist fatalities and serious injuries between 2015 and 2019, clearly an over-representation.

The GLS will introduce a staged approach to obtaining a full licence, with learners commencing in relatively low-risk situations. As the novice rider grows in knowledge, skills and on-road experience, restrictions are gradually lifted as they progress through to an intermediate stage and then on to their full licence.

The Marshall Liberal government’s bill gives effect to many of the CASR recommendations and strengthens the motorcycle GLS, whilst providing exemptions for young people living in regional South Australia, as appropriate. A key component of keeping South Australians safe on the road is ensuring that road users have the necessary training and experience to be safe and responsible. An improved GLS for motorcycle riders will achieve this.

Novice riders need the time to accumulate the necessary skills and experience to be safe riders. The CASR found that young riders, whether new or fully licensed, have more crashes per distance travelled than older riders. CASR also found that age, irrespective of experience, is an important factor in determining the risk of crash. I think that is an important finding.

A key component of a GLS is to ensure that novice riders have the time to accumulate the necessary skills and experience to be safe riders. Therefore, CASR has recommended that the length of time taken to progress from a learner’s permit to a full licence be three years. This will mean the minimum period a learner’s permit must be held will be 12 months, regardless of age or any other licences held. Accordingly, the minimum age at which a person can obtain a provisional licence will be 19 years. A provisional licence must then be held for a minimum of two years. As a result of these requirements, the minimum age a person can obtain a full licence classification will be 21 years of age.

At 16, South Australia currently has the equal lowest minimum age for motorcycle learner permits in Australia, along with the Northern Territory and Western Australia. CASR therefore recommended that the minimum age at which a person can obtain a motorcycle licence permit be increased from 16 to 18 years of age. It is important to note that, unlike the Labor Party, the Marshall Liberal government acknowledges that young people in regional South Australia may have limited alternative transport options, compared with young people living in metropolitan Adelaide.

The bill also does not restrict the riding of a motorcycle on private land. Accordingly, the government's bill includes exemptions for young people in regional South Australia, where this may be appropriate. The priority of the reform is to ensure that novice riders have the necessary training and experience so that road safety outcomes are improved for them and other road users. This will go a long way to reducing young rider fatalities and serious injuries.

Tragically, we have already lost five motorcyclists' lives on our roads this year, and that is five too many. These instances have horrific impacts on the family and friends of victims, other first responders who attend the crash sites and of course other road users. This reform has been carefully considered, based on the recommendations through an expert report facilitated by the University of Adelaide. It is strengthened by input from key road safety stakeholders, motorcycle groups and industry representatives.

The Marshall Liberal government is determined to see this bill pass parliament as soon as possible to save lives. I believe the bill strikes the right balance and, most importantly, will make a difference for young riders whose lives it will impact and ideally save. I commend the bill to the council.

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (16:46): I thank the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. Mark Parnell, the Hon. Connie Bonaros and the Hon. Dennis Hood for their contributions. I also thank the Department for Infrastructure and Transport for their work in developing the bill.

As we have heard, the bill's initiatives aim to enhance the Graduated Licensing Scheme to improve the safety of novice motorcyclists, their passengers and other road users. The statistics are very concerning. On average in the past five years, 2015 to 2019, motorcycles accounted for around 4 per cent of all registered vehicles, but motorcyclists accounted for around 15 per cent of all lives lost on South Australian roads and 19 per cent of serious injuries.

During the same period, motorcycle riders aged 16 to 19 accounted for 10.3 per cent of all motorcycle rider fatality and serious injuries, with a total of seven lives lost and 66 serious injuries. Sadly, in 2020 alone, seven riders aged 16 to 19 lost their lives on our roads. Tragically, a 16-year-old rider also lost their life last month.

The bill reflects a balanced approach between mobility and road safety. Having listened to the needs of the community, and after careful consideration, the bill includes an exemption to allow young people who reside in regional South Australia to gain a motorcycle learner's permit prior to turning 18 years of age to attend tertiary education, vocational education and training, for work purposes or to participate in a sporting event. Holders of a provisional licence for a car will also be eligible to obtain a motorcycle learner's permit from 17 years of age.

The bill provides for a staged learning approach by adding a number of restrictions to motorcycle learner's permit holders, such as no passengers, no towing trailers and, for all permit holders under 25 years, night-time restrictions between midnight and 5am. It restricts the holder of a R-date licence classification from riding with any alcohol in their system, regardless of the type of licence they hold.

Broadly, the bill intends to create a genuine GLS for all novice riders with the restrictions gradually lifted through each stage prior to being able to ride a high-powered motorcycle. Whilst younger riders have been a focus in this bill, these initiatives will benefit novice riders of all ages and should contribute to a safer cohort of fully licensed riders once they have successfully completed the GLS.

I thank Ms Bonaros for her contribution and the comments regarding the importance of robust and improved rider training and assessment. Given the importance of these initiatives included in the bill, the government has decided to continue to work on improving novice rider training as a separate project to ensure the speedy passage of this bill. The government has therefore supported amendments to the bill to provide regulations to be made that set out the training required. The Department for Infrastructure and Transport will shortly begin a second stage of reform to progress enhancements to RiderSafe, which will include consultation with key stakeholders on key issues.

In summing-up, the initiatives included in this bill are about protecting motorcyclists. The bill does not replace the existing Graduated Licensing Scheme but enhances it to take into account the risks for motorcyclists and young riders in particular. We have had considerable success in strengthening the Graduated Licensing Scheme for car drivers. Our task now is to replicate this success for motorcycle riders. I commend the bill to the house.

Bill read a second time.

Committee Stage

In committee.

Clause 1.

The Hon. C. BONAROS: I hope I did not miss this, but I did indicate during my second reading contribution that I would be asking a question about or seeking clarification about school and sports. The advice given to us during the briefing was that an exemption could be granted to attend school, another exemption could be granted to attend sport, but where the sport is held at the person's school that would not come under the parameters of the exemption. I really think that anyone who is caught up in this is going to need some clarification as to whether they can attend sports that are conducted at their school grounds or any other school grounds for that matter.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: I am advised that the proposed definition of participation in a sporting activity is as follows:

recognised sporting activity participation means participation in a sporting activity that is provided or organised by an association, club or other organisation (other than participation of a kind declared by the regulations to be excluded from this definition).

This definition is consistent with the current exemption provided for P1 drivers under 25 as part of the night-time driving restrictions when driving to participate in a sporting activity. I am advised that in the definition where it refers 'or other organisation' that would include a school.

The Hon. C. BONAROS: So it would include a school, which means you could attend the same school that you attend for education purposes to undertake the sporting activities?

The Hon. S.G. WADE: I am advised yes.

The Hon. C. BONAROS: Wonderful, thank you. That provides some clarity for everybody, then. My other question is specifically in relation to the high-visibility vest that we have discussed. I note again that that was one of the recommendations made by the University of Adelaide in the report, and it has also been incorporated into Victorian legislation.

Just by way of clarification, or confirmation, really, will the minister confirm that this is also one of the things that we will be considering as part of the subsequent work that they will be doing, which will be incorporated into regulations?

The Hon. S.G. WADE: I thought the honourable member was going to raise concerns about people impersonating COVID marshals but it is a completely different matter. The recommendation by the Centre for Automotive Safety Research to require learner riders to wear high-visibility clothing when riding is not being pursued at this time. This has been introduced in Victoria as part of its motorcycle Graduated Licensing Scheme and was one of the most contentious aspects for the community. The Department for Infrastructure and Transport will continue to monitor any safety outcomes in Victoria.

The Hon. C. BONAROS: I think they are all the questions I have at the moment.

Clause passed.

Clauses 2 to 6 passed.

Clause 7.

The Hon. C. BONAROS: I move:

Amendment No 1 [Bonaros–1]—

Page 3, after line 36—After subclause (1) insert:

(1a) Section 75A(2)(a)(v)—delete subparagraph (v) and substitute:

(v) has—

(A) in the case of an applicant for a learner's permit authorising the driving of a motor bike—completed the motor bike driver training prescribed by the regulations and complied any other requirements prescribed by the regulations; or

(B) in any other case—complied with any other requirements prescribed by the regulations in relation to the class of motor vehicle in respect of which the permit is sought; and

The amendment seeks to effectively replace the current provisions in 75A. There is already an existing provision there which allows for regulation-making powers but we have inserted a new (A) which is a separate set of regulations that will be prescribed specifically relating to the learner's permit authorising the driving of a motorbike. I think I have already outlined the reasons for this so I will not go into them again.

Amendment No. 2 is also a consequential amendment but I think it is important to note that as a package there are three issues that we are seeking to cover in terms of the regulation-making powers. I might just do that now: there is the issue of our learner drivers, there is the issue of our novice riders and then there is the issue of our return riders. In all three cases we have said that we need a regime around the level of experience or training that they need to receive before they are allowed on the road.

In terms of return riders, the proposal is that, depending on the length of time you have been off the road, if I had a licence at 18 to ride—I am not very good at these bike definitions—a small motorbike that you would normally get at 18 and then at 55 I suddenly decided to go and spend my savings on a Harley-Davidson—

An honourable member: A mid-life crisis.

The Hon. C. BONAROS: —a mid-life crisis I think it has been referred to as—then is it reasonable to assume or to expect that I will not have the requisite level of experience to ride a Harley, given that that is not the type of bike with the type of—what is the terminology? I am very bad at the terminology.

An honourable member: Horsepower.

The Hon. C. BONAROS: Horsepower. Clearly, this is not my area of expertise, but it is a commonsense issue. Can I jump on a Harley and ride it having had no experience whatsoever? Return riders, who have ridden a bike previously, can get on the road and ride a bike 30 years later and there is absolutely nothing that will stand in their way. I have an issue with that and I think the general community will have an issue with that.

The other element of that, though, is that when you are issued a licence originally you might stop riding over that 30-year period but your licence is maintained. There is an assumption there that you have been riding for those 30 years and so for some reason you are qualified and experienced enough to jump onto a Harley and off you go. That is not necessarily the case in practice, so one of the regulations that we expect to see is that if I do start off on a small motorbike when I am 20 and I keep renewing my driver's licence for the next 30 years, that should not result in the automatic ability to go out and buy one. Well, you can go and buy it; you just should not be allowed on the road with it unless you have undertaken some form of training.

That is really what we are expecting to see in the regulations, because right now that is an automatic process. There is an assumption there that works in the favour of the licence holder, that they have been riding bikes throughout the course of their life, and that they can go out and buy a Harley and they will have ticked the appropriate box in terms of being able to ride that on the road. In a practical sense, that is just not a reflection of the reality.

I have a staff member who rode a bike when she was about 18. She has not ridden a bike since. She attended with a friend who wanted to buy a high-powered bike and the salesperson said to her friend, 'Let's see your licence.' Her friend did not qualify because she clearly did not have the right level of licensing. My staff member, who has not ridden a bike since she was 18 or 19, qualified for the purchase of that very high-powered motorbike. That is the anomaly that we are trying to address. It should not be an automatic process. There should be some level of retraining, or training, required before that person can get on a bike.

Novice riders are the other group, and that obviously applies to those people who do not need to hold a motorbike licence at all because of the horsepower of the bike involved. Should they be able, just because they hold a driver's licence, to jump onto the back of a motorbike and off they go, because it is not a high-powered vehicle? Those are two groups we are trying to address by the regulations.

The other one, obviously, is the requirement around the level of supervision and so forth that a learner should have before they are allowed on the road. Personally, as I have said before, I have an issue with them not having a driver's licence to begin with. I actually thought that was a requirement. It turns out that it is absolutely not, and so I would expect that they have to get some more appropriate level of training before they can go from the half-day session off road to driving for a full year on road before they sit the P test.

They are the three groups that we are seeking to address in these regulations. If the minister can confirm, based on our briefings and discussions, that those are the groups that the government is willing to address in their regulations, then I will be satisfied that we have effectively addressed the issues that we have highlighted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: I thank the honourable member. I feel somewhat targeted because I am one of those people with an unrestricted motorcycle licence and I probably have not been on a bike for 30 years.

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The honourable Leader of the Opposition reminds me that what I was sitting on was something with cc's, not with horsepower. I think I managed to get as high as 750, but I will give an undertaking, both to the honourable member and to my wife, that I will not be buying a Harley-Davidson.

The government recognises the importance of robust and improved rider training and of assessment for applicants seeking a learner's permit to ride a motorcycle. The government will shortly begin a second stage of reform to progress enhancements to RiderSafe, which will include consultation with key stakeholders on key issues. The government supports the amendment being put by the Hon. Connie Bonaros to provide a route for regulations to be made that set out the training requirements.

The Hon. C. BONAROS: I feel like a bit of a dill for saying 'horsepower' as opposed to 'cc's', if I can correct that for the record.

Amendment carried; clause as amended passed.

Clauses 8 and 9 passed.

Clause 10.

The Hon. C. BONAROS: I move:

Amendment No 2 [Bonaros–1]—

Page 8, line 19 [clause 10, inserted section 79A(3)(b)(ii)]—Delete 'examiner.' and substitute 'examiner; and'

That is a consequential amendment.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The government also regards it as consequential and will support it.

Amendment carried.

The Hon. C. BONAROS: I move:

Amendment No 3 [Bonaros–1]—

Page 8, after line 19 [clause 10, inserted section 79A(3)]—Insert:

(c) in the case of an applicant for a licence authorising the driving of a motor bike—the applicant has completed the motor bike driver training prescribed by the regulations.

This is the one that is really intended to target the novice and the return riders and the unrestricted licence holders, again in a scheme that is to be prescribed by regulation.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The government supports the amendment.

Amendment carried; clause as amended passed.

Remaining clauses (11 to 13) and title passed.

Bill reported with amendment.

Third Reading

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (17:07): I move:

That this bill be now read a third time.

Bill read a third time and passed.