It is a pleasure to rise in support of the Roads and Road Safety Legislation Amendment Bill 2024. From the outset I would like to thank the Minister for Roads and Road Safety and her team for the tremendous work put into this piece of legislation. I trust that this bill will make a positive impact to road users and our state as a whole.
As a member of the Legislative Assembly’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee, I have the pleasure of serving alongside the members for Bellarine, Shepparton, Kew, Narracan, Pascoe Vale and Tarneit – do not worry, it is a good thing. Over many months last year we spent a significant amount of time and our efforts in trying to understand the impact of road safety behaviours on vulnerable road users. Vulnerable road users include pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, and this cohort is less protected on our roads compared to those in motor vehicles and certainly less than those in vans and trucks. Our committee found that in 2022 vulnerable road users made up nearly half of the lives lost on roads in Victoria. This is a horrific statistic that increased by almost a quarter the following year. It is of course a cross-parliamentary aim to make our roads safer for Victorians no matter which mode of transport they use. That is why this bill is necessary, because for our state to continue to progress on our path to zero road deaths, we need to modernise and update our legislative framework.
As part of this government’s transformative infrastructure agenda, the West Gate Tunnel is due to open in 2025, and this will benefit thousands of Victorians in getting to and from the city quicker. This project, however, is more than just reducing travel times. It is about improving health and livability outcomes for Victorians. Consequently, this bill is delivering on our commitments to introducing a 24-hour truck ban in the inner west, and this will result in some 9000 trucks being taken off local roads each day.
Katie Hall interjected.
John MULLAHY: The member for Footscray is very happy about it too. Cleaner air, improved health outcomes and reduced noise pollution are the benefits of this change, on top of making Victorian roads safer. It is self-explanatory as to why taking trucks off local roads provides better safety settings, especially for the vulnerable road users that I have been discussing.
This ban will be enforced in part thanks to the government’s $10.2 million investment into 24/7 camera enforcement. These cameras will detect noncompliant trucks. Amendments to the Road Safety Act 1986 made by this bill will enable images captured by these cameras to be admittable as evidence. These changes are in line with the findings of a report that the committee I served on delivered titled Inquiry into the Impact of Road Safety Behaviours on Vulnerable Road Users. Our committee investigated opportunities to improve road safety.
Expanding into the detail of this bill and the research conducted by the committee, it is important to acknowledge the context surrounding this complex issue. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic period, when the state went in and out of lockdowns, there was a logical decrease in the number of vehicles on the roads. This was evidenced by fuel sales falling by 26 per cent between March and July 2020, with a drop in kilometres travelled on Victorian roads. However, deaths did not fall in line with the drop in road users, as they only fell by 12 per cent. Considering there were no astronomical changes in road infrastructure or the variety of vehicles on the road, this suggests that the increase in lives lost was due to road users’ poor behaviour. I am glad to see that this bill not only takes note of the deep-rooted problem but also actively seeks to address it.
We all understand that changing road users’ behaviour is not simple. It is not a tick-box exercise or a matter of locking everyone up. It is a complicated issue which requires a sophisticated and multifaceted approach to deal with the various complexities which surround it. To effectively deal with such matters in a way whereby we are providing the best possible settings for safe road usage, legislative frameworks need to be modernised and updated.
In May of last year a successful trial was launched in Ballarat to provide residents with the option of carrying their drivers licence digitally. Now close to 1 million Victorians have signed up for their digital licence, as I have. I am guessing the member for Narracan has as well. Having your licence on your phone means that drivers are comfortable and have peace of mind on the roads as they are without the worry of leaving their licence at home. As a safeguarding measure, the privacy of Victorians will be protected by ensuring that electronic devices used for providing digital licences cannot be confiscated.
All the clarification and modernisation efforts contained in this bill are consistent with the government’s steadfast commitment to drive down the road toll. Through important programs such as the Road to Zero initiative, we are implementing necessary cultural changes. We did hear from the Road to Zero organisation during a committee hearing. This free program targets students from year 9 onwards, the age at which many young adults start learning to drive. Adolescents at that age are particularly vulnerable, not only because of their inexperience but also because of their tendency to be influenced by those around them. Through peer pressure or content online, teenagers are often shaped by the content they consume or the environment around them. We unfortunately understand that on too many occasions this has a negative impact on them, and that is why this program seeks to correct that by educating young people about road safety from an early age to crucially shape their attitudes and perceptions. This is critical in ensuring they have a positive experience on Victoria’s roads and that they and everyone else are safe.
Further, the Economy and Infrastructure Committee’s report also found that the age, ability, location and cultural background of an individual can affect their vulnerability on roads. The proportion of Victorians over 60 losing their lives on our roads is increasing. Because of their reduced bone strength, slower reaction times and weakened fracture tolerance more elderly road users are at a greater risk. On the other hand, it is a horrifying statistic that road transport accidents are the leading cause of death in Australian children aged 1 to 14. As the father of a young daughter, I understand that young children are less physically and cognitively capable of assessing risk, and that is why this government is focused on educating our youth.
This bill introduces a prescribed minimum age in the Road Safety Act 1986 for the sale or transfer of RNRs, or registration number rights. This is part of a holistic change to the way in which custom plate services are delivered. We are always seeking to improve the processes through which Victorians can access custom plates, and the money raised from custom plates will be reinvested in modernising the systems and services that people rely on.
A bill as sophisticated and important as this requires extensive consultation, much like the process of a committee’s inquiry into the impact of road safety behaviours on vulnerable road users, and I am pleased to note that such consultation has occurred. In preparing this bill the Department of Justice and Community Safety, the Department of Government Services, Service Victoria and Victoria Police have all been consulted, and this is in conjunction with conversations with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator regarding specific arrangements relating to the enforcement of no-truck zones. On this note, I would like to mention the pleasure of visiting Wilson transformers twice last week. It was great to join the Minister for Women at the launch of the program being funded by the Allan Labor government, the Apprentice to Leader program. I was back there again at 9:30 pm on Sunday night to witness a major operation in progress, including the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator working in conjunction with Wilson transformers and the Aries Group, where they were transporting a 167-tonne transformer from the heart of Glen Waverley to Queensland.
Additionally, minor changes will be made in the bill to the functions of the Secretary of the Department of Transport and Planning. The collection of transfer fees and registration number rights will be an additional power for the secretary.
And, finally, definitions will be updated to ensure that they are inclusive and fit for purpose for the 21st century. This is a microcosm of our commitment to championing equality and fairness, not just through words but with concrete actions. I am proud to be part of an Allan Labor government which is committed to improving road safety. Death and injuries on roads are heartbreaking. They not only unjustifiably rob individuals of their lives but also destroy dreams and families. These deaths have long-lasting and wideranging consequences. It is therefore incumbent on governments to meet the rightful expectations of the Victorian people to continue to provide the legislative frameworks for a path to zero deaths on our roads. This bill is part of the government’s broad and extensive agenda to take strong and proactive action to protect vulnerable road users on Victoria’s roads. By changing attitudes and educating our youth to have a positive relationship with our roads, we are systematically reforming the problematic behaviour patterns which are too often displayed in the community.
I am proud to support a bill which not only provides targeted and necessary measures to take trucks off our local roads, which improves safety and healthcare outcomes, but also modernises the laws which govern Victoria’s roads. I have confidence that this bill puts Victoria on the right path to zero deaths by 2050. It is of course not the full answer, but is a part of a multifaceted strategy to deal with a pressing issue. I would like to thank the minister and her team for all the efforts in making Victoria’s roads safer, and I commend the bill to the house.