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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 12 Hansard (21 November) . . Page.. 4230 ..

My Assembly Colleagues,

The parking of heavy commercial vehicles in residential areas has been a problem in the ACT for many years. Previous Governments both Federal and Local, were unwilling or unable to address the problem. This Government, however, is committed to bringing in legislation that is fair to both residents and the transport industry.

I established a Working Party in April 1995 with representatives from both the community and the transport industry. This working party spent 7 months in consultation to achieve a set of rules for parking heavy commercial vehicles in residential areas.

In May this year I tabled a document entitled `Rules for Parking on Residential Leases of Vehicles Used for Commercial Purposes', and indicated that legislation would be prepared to allow them to be implemented. Although there was some debate about these draft Rules, most members of this Assembly generally supported them.

There were claims that the draft Rules did not go far enough, and that heavy vehicles should be banned from the suburbs entirely. This is a very unrealistic approach as it would have a major impact on the local transport industry. Over 80% of heavy vehicles registered in Canberra are operated by owner-drivers.

The drafting of this Bill was complex, as it uses both the Motor Traffic Act 1936 and the Land (Planing and Environment) Act 1991 to restrict heavy commercial vehicles parking in residential areas. The Rules were not initially drafted as a legal document, and some minor changes have been required to enable them to be implemented as a Code of Practice under the legislation.

There are three types of heavy vehicle parking which will now be controlled by the Motor Traffic Act 1936, and which will be able to be enforced by the issuing of parking infringement notices:

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