Page 4482 - Week 14 - Thursday, 9 December 1993
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Mr Wood: We are searching for a site. The site we are searching for is for motor - - -
MR CORNWELL: Oh, come on! We know of at least three. We know of one down at Williamsdale which has been knocked back by the groups, and properly so, and there are two, as you would be aware, near the airport. When are we going to get an answer on these things? When are they going to get an answer, or would you rather just starve them out of existence by denying them the opportunity to use the existing facilities that they have at Fairbairn Park? They cannot use Sutton Road because they are prevented from doing so. You have limited them to a very narrow range of options in the use of Fairbairn Park. What are you trying to do? Starve them out? There is a very unpleasant inference in what is going on in relation to Fairbairn Park and the Sutton Road Driver Training Complex, and I believe that there are numbers of people who could find themselves in a very difficult position if the truth ever comes out.
MR LAMONT (3.50): I get much enjoyment from being able to get to my feet to respond to this MPI following Mr Cornwell. Normally some fact and reality is engendered in debate in this house. Unfortunately, we have not heard much from Mr Cornwell, so that makes my job a lot easier. In relation to the premise that Mr Stevenson's MPI this day relies upon, I am afraid - - -
Mr Cornwell: Here is the apologist for the TWU.
MR LAMONT: No, I am no apologist for the Transport Workers Union, Mr Cornwell. I indicate here for the public record that I have much pleasure in being able to put up my hand and say in relation to the police driver training complex at Sutton Road that I, along with other responsible members of the transport industry, approached the Transport and Distribution Industry Training Council, became involved, and sought to have this type of facility created in the ACT. It behoves me to condemn you, Mr Cornwell, for your short-sightedness, your pig-headedness, and, quite frankly, your ignorance on this matter.
In addressing the questions raised by Mr Stevenson, I think I need to provide this Assembly with some history as to road accident trauma and road safety in the ACT, Madam Speaker. Over the last 20 years ACT fatality rates measured per 100,000 population have been on the decline. This is attributable mainly to the high standard of ACT roads and the high proportion of urban roads as opposed to rural roads. For fatalities measured per 10,000 vehicles, the figures show the ACT to be consistently lower than elsewhere in Australia for the 30 years from 1960 to 1990. Thus we have a low level by national standards and one which is, as a statistical proportion, continuing on a downward path. Between 1987 and 1992 there were 154 fatal accidents on ACT roads, resulting in 170 deaths. This represents an average of 28 fatalities per year, or one road death every 12 days. Over the same period, 1987 to 1992, each week an average of four people sustained injuries requiring hospitalisation. In addition, some 200 property damage accidents were reported.
In all these accidents young people in the ACT are statistically overrepresented. The 15- to 20-year age group represents approximately 9 per cent of the ACT population, but accounts for 23 per cent of fatalities. Older people in the 60-year-plus bracket, who are also 9 per cent of the ACT population, represent 20 per cent of fatalities. Another group needing special focus in road safety
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