Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to table a very important petition signed by 6,600 concerned Australians calling for the legislation of mandatory minimum standards for train lighting. This petition has been considered by the Petitions Committee and found to be in order.

The petition read as follows—

We the undersigned ask the Parliament of Australia to immediately implement mandatory and enforceable legislation requiring rotating beacon lights on the front of train locomotives and side lighting on locomotives and rolling stock.

In Australia there is no legal requirement for trains to be lit to a particular standard. In contrast, oversize (excessively large) trucks are required by law to be fitted with flashing beacon lights and all trailers must be fitted with mandatory side lighting. Trains are at least 15 times heavier than trucks and can be up to 1.8km long, yet they have minimal frontal lighting and no side lighting. Trains remain the largest and most poorly lit vehicle on land.

Two separate studies commissioned by the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) have demonstrated that upgraded lighting significantly improves the visibility of trains at night, particularly for vehicles approaching level crossings at obtuse angles, which is a common situation in rural settings.

Currently, 80% of the 23,000 railway crossings in Australia do not have warning lights, making it essential for trains to have adequate illumination. Between 1 July 2014 and 31 December 2022 across Australia's level crossings there were 7,839 near hits, 322 collisions, 39 fatalities and 49 serious injuries involving either road vehicles or pedestrians.

We therefore ask the House to immediately implement legislation requiring rotating beacons on the front of locomotives and side lighting on locomotives and rolling stock to improve safety and reduce preventable accidents and fatalities at railway crossings.

from 6,600 citizens (Petition No. EN6369)

Petition received.

Currently in Australia, there is no legal requirement for trains to be lit to a particular standard. Given 80 per cent of Australia's 23,000 railway crossings lack warning lights, it is crucial for trains to be adequately illuminated to prevent accidents. I'd like to thank Western Australia state member for the North West Central, Merome Beard, for launching this very important petition.

I also give thanks to Durack local Lara Jensen. Lara and her supporters have been fighting for better train lighting for decades following the tragic accident causing the death of her brother, Christian, and his friends, Jess Broad and Hilary Smith. A coronial inquest determined that they did not see the oncoming train and recommended for all locomotives to be fitted with external and ditch lighting. That was sadly made all the way back in 2001.

The government, for what it's worth, does have a stated goal of zero harm at level crossings; however, they are currently looking to implement only a voluntary code for train visibility. That is simply not good enough. I call on the government to reconsider its position in light of this petition and to take the necessary actions to make our regions safer and to prevent further loss of life.