Page 1554 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 17 May 1994
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The Government agrees with recommendation 1, that the Traffic (Amendment) Bill (No. 2) 1992 not be proceeded with. In relation to the second recommendation, my department will address this through expansion of the existing road safety education programs and, in doing this, will liaise with the Chief Minister's Department. In relation to recommendations 3 and 4, the Government agrees in principle that the establishment of facilities at Civic and Phillip is desirable. However, before coming to any final decision, we will need to consider carefully the priorities of sporting facilities. In addition, the Government will need to weigh the proposal against other budget priorities, including the numbers of people in the community that specific facilities will benefit.
There are many wider issues associated with small-wheeled transports, which was apparent from the committee's deliberations. To this end, my department has prepared a draft small-wheeled transport strategy which I propose to release for public consultation in the near future. The draft strategy attempts to balance the needs of users and non-users with available resources and identifies the role of education in encouraging greater safety. It also provides restrictions on small-wheeled transports in certain circumstances, for example on major roads and in specific public places.
Madam Speaker, while I have indicated that I will shortly release for public discussion the draft ACT small-wheeled transport strategy, I am proposing that it be circulated to members of the Assembly for their information in taking into account the way in which the Government has responded to the report of the Standing Committee on Legal Affairs. The draft strategy talks about the use of small-wheeled transports in the ACT, the issues and principles associated with their use, the enforcement issues associated with any decisions we may come to, safety gear that may be required to be used, and identifying users and the basis upon which they use small-wheeled transport, both for adults and for youth. It talks about the rights of non-users, particularly those affected by the use of small-wheeled transports. It talks about what we should be doing in relation to pedestrians, especially the elderly, and about the question of facilities.
The departments that have been involved in preparing this report, and will be involved in future considerations of the strategy are the Department of the Environment, Land and Planning, whose role is priority of spending on sporting facilities; the Department of Urban Services, who have responsibility for transportation in the ACT and for developing and encouraging road safety programs in schools; the Department of Education and Training, who are responsible for safety education in schools and schools policy on small-wheeled transports; the Department of Health, which has responsibility for health benefits to the community and the occurrence of injuries; the Chief Minister's Department, whose role is in relation to youth affairs and issues concerning the aged and the disabled; the ACT Treasury, which is responsible for allocating Government funds; and the Attorney-General's Department, who have responsibility for legal issues and police matters.
Madam Speaker, we are proposing, before we adopt this draft code, to consult widely with the community, and in particular with the following organisations: The Canberra Blade Club Inc., the ACT Council on the Ageing, the Catholic Education Office, the National Capital Planning Authority, the YMCA, the Youth Affairs Network
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