Page 2957 - Week 07 - Thursday, 30 June 2011
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This amendment is retrospective until 2008. The normal presumption that legislation should not apply retrospectively does not apply here. It is clear that the retrospective provision would not in fact be prejudicial and would in fact achieve a properly just goal—that is, to ensure that financial assistance is available to all victims of culpable driving offences.
JACS bills are invaluable in ensuring that legislation continues to give effect to the policy decisions that resulted in the enactment of the territory’s laws. They allow the government to be responsive to community and stakeholder concerns, thereby delivering on the government’s commitment to be alert to the changing needs and attitudes of the community. The bill I present today is no exception. It introduces amendments to the statute book of a relatively minor and uncontroversial nature, including matters that are not changes in policy, providing this Assembly with an opportunity to ensure, in a timely fashion, that the territory’s laws continue to operate with minimal confusion and uncertainty, and address current issues.
I commend this bill to the Assembly.
Debate (on motion by Mrs Dunne) adjourned to the next sitting.
Road Transport (Safety and Traffic Management) Amendment Bill 2011
Mr Corbell, pursuant to notice, presented the bill, its explanatory statement and a Human Rights Act compatibility statement.
Title read by Clerk.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development, Minister for Territory and Municipal Services and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (10.56): I move:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
This bill supports the use of average speed detection systems, also called point-to-point speed cameras, in the ACT. The ACT has a good road safety record in comparison to other parts of Australia, and indeed the world. The ACT has the benefit of an established and well-designed road system, a general urban environment and a small, well defined geographic area. Despite this, there is no room for complacency.
Each year an average of 14 people are killed and 565 injured on ACT roads. Over the last five years, 71 people have been killed and over 2,800 people have been injured. There is no doubt that speeding increases the likelihood of injury and death in a traffic crash. At lower speeds there are fewer crashes because road users, including pedestrians, have more time for decision making, motorists are less likely to lose control and vehicles have much shorter stopping distances.
Australia’s national approach to road safety improvement is guided by the safe system approach. A safe transport system requires responsible road user behaviour, but also
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