The Leader of the Opposition questions the lack of speed camera blitzes on country roads despite a higher fatality rate compared to freeways. The Minister responds by highlighting increased highway patrols and criticizes the previous government's Delta strategy for decentralizing traffic management.

AnsweredQoN 733Legislative Assembly
Asked
3 June 2003
Portfolio
Police and Emergency Services

QuestionView source ↗

I have a supplementary question. Any road death is a tragedy. Given that the number of people killed on country roads since January 2000 is 23 times the number of people tragically killed on our freeways over the same period, why has no similar speed camera blitz taken place on country roads? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS

AnswerView source ↗

It is almost as though the Leader of the Opposition prepared his question earlier. He did not listen to the answer he was given. We have put a special emphasis on country roads. For the first time, over the last long weekend we implemented a series of highway patrols. Seven additional full-time vehicles were on the roads over that long weekend. We have listened to the community. We want to do the right thing for road safety. The community has said it would like to see a greater police presence on those roads. Members might ask why there was ever a decline in that area. It is because of the Delta strategy adopted by the people opposite when they were in government. Under the Delta theory, traffic management and similar issues were devolved to the local districts. This Government has said that that is not enough, and has committed to putting additional, dedicated traffic patrols on country roads.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: It is almost as though the Leader of the Opposition prepared his question earlier. He did not listen to the answer he was given. We have put a special emphasis on country roads. For the first time, over the last long weekend we implemented a series of highway patrols. Seven additional full-time vehicles were on the roads over that long weekend. We have listened to the community. We want to do the right thing for road safety. The community has said it would like to see a greater police presence on those roads. Members might ask why there was ever a decline in that area. It is because of the Delta strategy adopted by the people opposite when they were in government. Under the Delta theory, traffic management and similar issues were devolved to the local districts. This Government has said that that is not enough, and has committed to putting additional, dedicated traffic patrols on country roads.
It is almost as though the Leader of the Opposition prepared his question earlier. He did not listen to the answer he was given. We have put a special emphasis on country roads. For the first time, over the last long weekend we implemented a series of highway patrols. Seven additional full-time vehicles were on the roads over that long weekend. We have listened to the community. We want to do the right thing for road safety. The community has said it would like to see a greater police presence on those roads. Members might ask why there was ever a decline in that area. It is because of the Delta strategy adopted by the people opposite when they were in government. Under the Delta theory, traffic management and similar issues were devolved to the local districts. This Government has said that that is not enough, and has committed to putting additional, dedicated traffic patrols on country roads.

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