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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-05-05 Daily Xml
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Road Safety

Mr WINGARD (Mitchell) (15:51): My question is to the Minister for Road Safety. Considering a report into safety on the South Eastern Freeway was originally prepared following a death in 2010, why has it taken an ensuing three years since the report was tabled and two more fatal truck crashes to implement the report's recommendations?

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light—Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (15:52): I will answer the question as best I can, because the primary carriage of this section of road safety is undertaken by my colleague minister Mullighan, who oversees truck regulation as part of the national scheme. However, what I can advise the house is that a number of measures were put in place during 2010, 2011 and 2012 arising from the new rules regarding vehicles with five axles, etc. They were implemented back in 2010-11, and a number of other measures have taken place as well.

As members would be aware, this is one area where new technology assists in making the roads safer. At the recent meeting held with stakeholders—in other words, the people involved in the industry—(which, if I remember correctly, the member was also present at), there were a number of priorities established and, certainly, the government is now following those priorities. A couple of those priorities, from recollection, were to do with making sure that people are properly trained to use that section of the road and, also, that vehicles are properly maintained to use that road. It is sad that, just recently, SAPOL defected a number of trucks for deficiencies which make them unsafe to use the roads. What I can say is that this government, based on the advice it receives from its department, does the best it can to make our roads safe.

What I should also add is that there are about 500,000 truck movements on this section of the road in a year and the overwhelming majority of people who drive those trucks do the right thing. What we need to do is make sure—

Mr Pederick interjecting:

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: You are quite right. What is important is that what you do in terms of a road safety measure actually works and what we are doing is working carefully—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Premier and the Leader of the Opposition. The Premier is called to order and the Leader of the Opposition really should go out.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: As the member for Mitchell also knows we are, and he is as well, working closely with the industry to make sure that road is safe. The minister has a number of things under review at the moment in terms of implementation, including at the national level, about truck regulation. What I can also say is that, in the end, if people break the law there is nothing we can do to prevent that, unfortunately.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: No. The simple fact remains we have—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The members for Davenport and Kavel are called to order.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: The fact is on our roads, unfortunately a lot of the deaths and crashes occur because of people's inappropriate behaviour. It does not matter how much education we try to put out there or the measures we take including stop lights, people unfortunately still have serious crashes at those intersections which are controlled.

Mr Goldsworthy interjecting:

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: What I am saying is there is only a limit we can actually do with infrastructure—

The SPEAKER: The member for Kavel is warned.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: —to actually make roads safer. We are now working closely with industry to make sure that every dollar we invest in road safety delivers the best outcome for the community.

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Road Safety will not refer to his colleague the Minister for Transport by his family name, a reference which seems long ago and far away just at this point.

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