Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Sterle, I move:

That the Senate:

(a) notes that:

  (i) since recordkeeping commenced in 1925, there have been over 190 000 deaths on Australia's roads,

  (ii) over the last ten years, there have been 14 525 road fatalities in Australia,

  (iii) during the 2017 calendar year, there were 1 225 road deaths across Australia,

  (iv) in 2018 so far, there have been 665 deaths on Australian roads, and

  (v) the annual economic cost of road crashes in Australia is estimated at $27 billion per annum, and the social impacts are devastating;

(b) recognises that according to the Government's own website, "the Australian Government is responsible for regulating safety standards for new vehicles, and for allocating infrastructure resources, including for safety, across the national highway and local road networks", and "the Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities has a range of functions that support the Australian Government's role in road safety. These include: administering vehicle safety standards for new vehicles, administering the National Black Spot Program and other road funding, administering the keys2drive program, producing national road safety statistics, and coordinating the National Road Safety Strategy 2011-2020"; and

(c) calls on the Australian Government to:

  (i) acknowledge that almost 90 per cent of the National Road Safety Strategy targets will not be met by 2020,

  (ii) acknowledge that fewer than one in ten KPls are likely to be met and that a quarter of KPls still are not even being measured, and

  (iii) provide a guarantee that the National Road Safety Strategy is being monitored, and that changes will be made to reach the agreed targets if they are not on track to be met.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government acknowledges the motion's understandable passion for improving road safety across our nation—a passion shared by the government. The coalition government is focused on delivering world-class infrastructure, including local roads, which increase productivity, but, more importantly, improve safety so that Australians can get home to their families sooner and safer. Programs, including the Black Spot Program and the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program, as well as the record $10 billion investment in the Bruce Highway and the billions spent on duplicating the Pacific Highway are all examples showing that this government is committed to improving road safety. The government also acknowledges the opposition for its bipartisan support in helping move our nation towards zero.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that motion No. 965 be agreed to.