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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-09-25 Daily Xml
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ROAD SAFETY

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (14:50): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Road Safety a question about road safety initiatives undertaken by the state's community road safety groups.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Across the state at any one given time community road safety group volunteers are planning and undertaking road safety initiatives to help reduce trauma on the state's roads. Will the minister please describe some of the projects that have recently been undertaken and in what areas of the state these initiatives are being carried out?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Gambling, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (14:50): I thank the honourable member for his important question. From time to time I have had the opportunity to advise members in the chamber of the excellent work undertaken by individual community road safety groups right across our state. The state's 35 Community Road Safety Groups, particularly the 29 in regional areas, have an extremely important role in helping to achieve the road safety goals set out in the State Strategic Plan. I would like to advise the chamber about some of the initiatives currently being undertaken by five of the groups.

The Clare and Gilbert Valley Community Road Safety Group is currently using a promotional trailer as a mobile billboard to reinforce road safety messages. The trailer can be seen at driver reviver sites and community events. This group was granted $3,050 as part of the Community Road Safety Grants program to carry out the mobile billboard initiative, which will run until 31 October.

The Coorong and District Road Safety Committee is currently running a 'See and be seen' project, which encourages drivers to turn on their lights to improve visibility and prevent head-on collisions on the main highways. An associated promotional campaign includes petrol station advertising and media promotions in The Standard, Tailem Topics and 5MU Murray Bridge radio. The Coorong and District Road Safety Committee received more than $3,500 to carry out this initiative which began in August and which will run until July next year.

The Port Pirie and Districts Road Safety Group is using $4,200 in funding to coordinate projects that aim to reduce road trauma in the Port Pirie Regional Council. The group is using existing signage to encourage people to take care on the roads. The project is expected to run until April next year, meaning the signs will be in place over the vital Christmas and New Year peak travel period.

The Barunga West Community Road Safety Group has come up with an innovative project for its official road safety month. This project aims to increase community awareness of road safety issues—speeding, drink and drug driving and fatigue, in particular—by involving community members in project activities, including the local Youth Advisory Committee and young people at the Port Broughton Area School. The project will benefit from $3,100 in funding and will run until the end of October.

Also, a crash prevention initiative that aims to change students' driving attitudes and behaviour is being run by the Streaky Bay and District Road Safety Group. A six-themed road safety education program will address youth road safety issues that are relevant to that area. The initiative will target year 11 students and includes the Motor Accident Commission-sponsored SAPOL Youth Driver Education program.

As members of the chamber have just heard, the Community Road Safety Grants Scheme encourages projects such as the prevention of drink driving, driving with lights on during the day, and driver behaviour and awareness. The quality of the submissions that have been received demonstrates that not only are local communities concerned about road safety but they are also prepared to do something about it. These are the people who are at the coalface and who know their community.

I have mentioned it many times in this chamber: the Community Road Safety Groups are made up of dedicated and enthusiastic members of the community who work together to improve road safety. They are an extremely important partner in the ongoing quest to keep the state's road toll to a minimum. I am personally extremely grateful, as I am sure is everybody else in the chamber, to have such dedicated volunteers in our community.

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