Page 3265 - Week 10 - Thursday, 25 September 2014
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in close proximity to shared paths. The potential road safety benefits of lower speed limits are supported by a range of evidence and research. Speed is highly implicated in a large proportion of serious casualty crashes and contributes significantly to the severity of all crashes, particularly those involving vulnerable road users.
Research commissioned by Austroads in 2005 confirmed this and showed that as a vulnerable road user the chances of surviving a crash with a car decreases rapidly at impact speeds above 30 kilometres per hour. Therefore, the government has agreed to consider the extension of 40 kilometre per hour speed limits to group and local centres and will undertake community consultation to determine the community demand for lower speed limits. The government will also consider the introduction of 30 kilometre per hour speed limits in some school zones as part of an overarching policy on school precinct traffic safety.
The government response to the inquiry sets out the rationale for the response to each of the recommendations, the majority of which are agreed or agreed in principle. The five which are noted are considered to require no specific action or to raise implementation issues, including resourcing, which would need to be considered in the context of competing budget priorities.
The government welcomes the committee’s report on this important issue. I want to thank the committee for their work, and thank all of the members of the community who made submissions and contributed to the inquiry. This inquiry is a great example of the committee system in the Assembly working to bring together ideas from the community and translate them into government action.
I commend the government response to the Assembly and I move:
That the Assembly takes note of the paper.
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo) (3.58): I would like to make a few comments on the government’s response to the committee report on vulnerable road users as well as to reflect on the committee process. Members will recall that I brought the issue of vulnerable road users to the Assembly in May 2013. Safety and prioritisation of more sustainable travel modes, like walking, cycling and motorcycling, is an issue that I am committed to as a Green. But it is an issue, I think, on which this Assembly is now showing tripartisan support. The Assembly agreed with my motion and passed a resolution to refer the matter to an Assembly committee for inquiry.
I think the process has worked very well. I would like to thank the committee for its work, both the members of the committee and the supporting committee staff. The inquiry received a large number of submissions and held several days of hearings. It produced a unanimous report that contains some well-considered and valuable recommendations.
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