Page 3797 - Week 13 - Thursday, 18 October 1990
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Finally, there is another very important additional reason for this Bill. The Federal Government's 10-point road safety package of initiatives includes the introduction of Australian Design Rules relating to speed limiters for heavy vehicles. Accordingly, without legislation to introduce Australian Design Rules, the ACT cannot participate in the funding available under this Federal initiative. In this sense, the Bill forms part of our commitment to the Federal Government's road safety package. I commend this Bill to the Assembly.
MR JENSEN (11.26): Mr Speaker, I am pleased to support this Bill to amend the Motor Traffic Act 1936 to introduce Australian Design Rules into the Motor Traffic Act. Design Rules were included in the Act until 1973; but, largely because of the slow processes involved in amending legislation under the Commonwealth Government, few have been subsequently included. I note the comments made by Mrs Grassby on this issue and, in fact, I also suggest that this is one of the major reasons why we need self-government.
Mrs Grassby: To fill up the day. How about bringing in more Bills that are really more important?
MR JENSEN: No, Mrs Grassby. I think it is important to continually reinforce the requirement for self-government to ensure that these sorts of legislation are quickly processed and handled by the Government.
Australian Design Rules are developed through a consultative process involving Commonwealth, State and Territory governments and industry, employee and consumer representatives and are endorsed by the Australian Transport Advisory Council of which all State, Territory and Federal government transport Ministers are members, as has already been indicated. I think it is probably important, as Mrs Grassby has indicated, that the ACT is a member of that organisation and, therefore, I think it is important for the ACT to be represented at this very important council at ministerial level. I note the reason why the current Minister is, in fact, attending those meetings.
In broad terms, the aims of the Australian Design Rules system are to reduce the frequency of vehicle accidents; to reduce the severity of occupant injury when accidents occur, and to control vehicle noise and emissions. The design and construction requirements for motor vehicles were originally contained in the Consolidated Draft Regulations. In the late 1960s these regulations were supplemented by the second edition Australian Design Rules for Motor Vehicle Safety and, at that time, these became law in many jurisdictions. The third edition of the Australian Design Rules for Motor Vehicles and Trailers was introduced on 1 July 1988.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .