Page 1873 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 2 May 2012
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I take the minister’s point that consultation first is a good way to go—and then to actually implement those measures once that has been agreed to by the residents. As I said, they have got some very good input to provide and should be listened to.
That was one of the key things from meeting with the residents. They want to be listened to. They want the department to actually speak with them. They want to say, “These are the sorts of things we want to see here, and this is the location where we think they should go.” Before the department just goes and does it, they want to be spoken to. That was made very clear to me. I was going to write to ask that a meeting be held with them. It is good that we can get that meeting held, and then the measures can be implemented as a priority after that.
Secondly, my amendments call on the government to “give greater priority to traffic calming in Canberra’s neighbourhoods”. This is consistent with the work of the Greens throughout this Assembly. We have consistently raised issues concerning traffic safety, vulnerable road users, and safety in neighbourhoods.
I refer, for example, to the submission that we made to the process to amend the residential estates and residential subdivisions elements of the territory plan. In that submission, we emphasised the need to systematically apply principles of safety and sustainability and to revise the rules and criteria to reduce traffic volume and vehicle speeds.
We endorsed changes to ensure lower speed street design. Lower vehicle speeds make a substantial difference in reducing the risk of injury for cyclists and pedestrians, particularly, as I have already noted, around neighbourhoods, shopping areas, and community facilities. Most unprotected road users survive if hit by a car travelling at 30 kilometres per hour; the majority are killed if hit by a car travelling at 50 kilometres per hour.
Our submission also asks for various other layout and design changes to improve safety and amenity in residential areas. My amendments require the government to review and revise relevant design standards to favour the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, children and older people. I believe that there are considerable changes that can be made to these standards, which means reviewing Austroads design standards. The Greens’ view is that these standards are not always adequate for a jurisdiction that wants to prioritise pedestrians, cyclists, children and older people. I refer the government, for example, to the work of researchers from the Monash University Accident Research Centre, who have developed standards that they recommend should overlay the Austroads standards to ensure that vulnerable road users are properly accommodated.
My other amendments ask the government to table a list of locations where residents have asked for traffic calming or complained about persistent speeding and to produce and table a list of Canberra streets prioritised for traffic calming improvements.
I look forward to the government doing this work, talking to the community and implementing these changes. They will lead to safer and more active communities—in Canberra all around and in Tuggeranong. I move:
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