Pat Conaghan (Cowper, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Joint Select Committee on Road Safety, I present the committee's report entitled Improving road safety in Australia.

Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e).

by leave—I was very pleased to act as the chair of the Joint Select Committee on Road Safety, and indeed it is a privilege to present this report and its 22 recommendations to the House today. I would like to thank all members of the committee who participated, but, in particular, the Hon. Sharon Bird, the Hon. Matt Thistlethwaite and Senator Glenn Sterle for their input and experience and also for their bipartisan approach to such an important national issue—road safety. I would also like to thank the very diligent research officers and secretary for compiling this report.

Last year, 1,188 people died on our nation's roads. The quantified financial cost of road trauma on the Australian economy in 2016 is estimated to have been over $33 billion. A recent inquiry into the National Road Safety Strategy 2011-2020 also found that inaction on improving the current position will result in 12,000 people killed and 360,000 admitted to hospital, costing the nation in excess of $300 billion over the next decade. And this is only the immediate financial impact. Beyond this is the often silent but far-reaching emotional and social cost of road trauma in the community—and, far too often, in regional and rural communities. Over two-thirds of deaths on our roads occur in regional and rural locations, causing a ripple effect both emotionally and financially. This is imposed on family members and friends. Then, of course, there is the silent pain suffered by those first responders—the police, ambulance, SES and frontline medical workers—who are confronted with the catastrophic and unforgettable scenes of carnage.

In the past, all governments have failed to do enough to ensure that our roads provide safe passage for drivers and vulnerable road-users. This report acknowledges those failures, and, through its 22 recommendations, seeks to implement ideas, practices and policies received from experts, stakeholders, frontline workers and affected family members, to all of whom the committee is extremely grateful for their submissions and their evidence.

The first step in working towards safer roads is a change to the mindset that dying on our roads is tragic yet acceptable. Last year alone, we lost more people on our roads than we have during this coronavirus pandemic. Yet we don't refer to our road toll as a pandemic. We can no longer think that road deaths are an unfortunate consequence of road use. It is also incumbent on all levels of government to work together to collect and share data and report on all issues surrounding road safety. We can no longer consider this a local issue, a state issue or a federal issue. This is a national issue, and it can only be resolved by working together.

It was pleasing to see an additional $2 billion for road safety upgrades and a further $1 billion to help our councils through the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program. Sometimes, the smallest of changes can have the biggest outcomes.

I hope to continue to work with my colleagues in a permanent capacity on the road safety committee to implement these recommendations and to ensure transparency, accountability and outcomes, and to save lives, for all Australians on our roads. I commend the report to the House.

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