Page 2045 - Week 07 - Thursday, 4 June 2015
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addition to this long-term accommodation, a respite bed is available to people with acquired brain injury and/or high level clinical support needs living in the ACT.
Another key project undertaken by the trust was the allocation of $2 million to the development of road ready, the ACT’s graduated licensing scheme. The road ready program is a key program conducted by the government to assist new drivers. It is a comprehensive educational program that helps prepare new drivers to become safer and more responsible drivers.
The trust has also funded research into a variety of road safety issues. For example, it provided $118,000 to the Monash University Accident Research Centre for the development of an education and training package aimed at road safety issues involving older drivers. Further, it funded the research component of the accident care evaluation, which determined whether the health outcomes of people who have sustained mild to moderate soft tissue injuries from road accidents can be improved by early referral to medical practitioners.
It is clear that the trust has made an important contribution to road safety in the ACT, and I would particularly like to acknowledge and thank NRMA Insurance for their valued partnership with the ACT government, and their commitment to enhancing road safety for the ACT community over the past 22 years. I would also like to put on record my thanks to those who have served as trustees over the life of the trust, particularly Professor Don Aitkin, who has served as the chair of the trust for the past 14 years. They have shown deep personal commitment to improving road safety outcomes in our community.
Noting the very valuable and important contribution the trust has made to the ACT community, the government committed late last year to establish a new fund to support projects in key initiatives related to road safety research, education and road trauma prevention, in support of the government’s road safety strategy.
I am pleased to announce to the Assembly that the ACT Road Safety Fund will commence from 1 July this year, and will build upon the good work of the trust, including the provision of an annual grants round. The new fund will be supported by a ministerially appointed advisory board, which will provide advice about the application of the new fund to the government, including the allocation of grant funding. Board members will be appointed for a period of three years, and the board will consist of a combination of independent road safety experts, representatives from ACT CTP insurers, road user representative groups, and the ACT government. Under the terms of reference, the advisory board will report annually on the application and activities of the fund. This report will form part of the existing ACT road safety report card which I table annually.
In order to ensure that the new fund has sufficient resourcing for an annual grants program and other key initiatives, the road safety contribution, which is paid when a vehicle is registered in the ACT, will be increased from $2 to $2.50. This fee has not risen since 2003 and will apply to vehicle registrations commencing on or after 1 July this year. The small increase to the road safety contribution will provide annual income of approximately $700,000 for the fund. Applications for the initial grants round will open in the first half of next year.
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