Page 3258 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 22 August 2012
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Turning to the issue of school speed zones, the ACT was the first amongst states and territories in Australia to introduce 40-kilometre-per-hour speed zones in the vicinity of primary schools. These speed zones were introduced back in 1985. Since then our safety record around schools has been very positive and is considered to be one of the best in the country already.
In general, very few crashes involving a child within school zones are reported in the ACT. In 2011 there were seven reported crashes at school crossings out of a total of nearly 8½ thousand across the ACT. To support the school zone infrastructure that is in place, the Justice and Community Safety Directorate and ACT Policing have ongoing programs covering road safety awareness and enforcement relating to school zones. Based on our evidence and advice from experts, flashing lights in school zones as a general measure are not needed to reduce vehicle speeds or improve safety in school zones in the ACT.
I am aware that there are different arrangements for school zones in other jurisdictions. As we know, New South Wales has a program of installing flashing lights in school zones. But I would say that—and Mr Coe did not draw our attention to this—there are different arrangements in New South Wales. The zones in New South Wales generally operate between eight and 9.30 in the morning—and I know this is true for Queanbeyan as well, as I was going through a school zone there the other day—and then again from 2.30 to four in the afternoon. Flashing lights in the New South Wales system, therefore, assist motorists often in high traffic conditions to recognise when that 40-kilometre school zone is in operation. That is quite different to the ACT where school zones operate between the hours of eight and four every day and that period between 9.30 and 2.30 remains at 40 kilometres an hour.
There are a few other differences between New South Wales and the ACT. Unlike New South Wales, ACT schools are generally located within residential areas and, with a few exceptions, are generally clear of major roads. The result of this is that our school zones do not generally affect major high-traffic routes. I think the ACT’s all-day school zone time period is much simpler and one of the best features of the ACT system. The time penalty or inconvenience of having an all-day speed reduction is considered relatively small. Given the positive all-day safety record of the current system the government has no plans to change the current policy.
Turning to the specific motion that is before us—that the Assembly endorse a policy of delivering flashing lights at all school zones in the ACT—as I have said on previous occasions, I believe we need to take these decisions based on evidence. The Assembly is not an expert in such matters and we therefore look to the relevant information and advice from experts in the field.
In relation to the costs involved, the TAMS directorate is aware of an approach from a manufacturer of supplying flashing lights which are supposedly available at a cost of around $2,000 per school. In January 2009 the New South Wales Road Traffic Authority issued a media release refuting the claims of installing flashing lights at schools as being a very low cost item. The true cost back in 2009 was about $13,000
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