❓ Mrs Roberts questions the Minister for Road Safety about the expenditure of an $87.7 million road safety funding package, specifically regarding a promised increase in traffic enforcement hours. The Minister's response focuses on current year allocations and a review of spending, without directly addressing the previous year's figures or the enforcement hour discrepancy.
AnsweredQoN 473Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ROAD SAFETY — FUNDING PACKAGE
1. 473. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS to
the Minister for Road Safety:
Last year the minister's government committed to an
$87.7 million road safety funding package to be funded out of the road trauma
trust account. I refer to a press release headed ''Historic Funding
Boost for Road Safety'' in Western Australia.
(1) Has all
that money been expended; and, if not, how much of the $87.7 million has not
been expended?
(2) Why was
the so-called massive increase of 64 000 hours of additional traffic
enforcement, as advertised here, not delivered?
(3) Does the
minister concede that her own answers in supplementary information for
estimates prove that there has been a cut of nearly 13 000 hours in the last
year, rather than a 64 000-hour increase and that, in fact, since 2008–09,
there has been an annual reduction of 132 000 hours of traffic enforcement?
1. 473. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS to
the Minister for Road Safety:
Last year the minister's government committed to an
$87.7 million road safety funding package to be funded out of the road trauma
trust account. I refer to a press release headed ''Historic Funding
Boost for Road Safety'' in Western Australia.
(1) Has all
that money been expended; and, if not, how much of the $87.7 million has not
been expended?
(2) Why was
the so-called massive increase of 64 000 hours of additional traffic
enforcement, as advertised here, not delivered?
(3) Does the
minister concede that her own answers in supplementary information for
estimates prove that there has been a cut of nearly 13 000 hours in the last
year, rather than a 64 000-hour increase and that, in fact, since 2008–09,
there has been an annual reduction of 132 000 hours of traffic enforcement?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3)
I thank the member for this question. Indeed, we are very pleased with this
government's commitment to move 100 per cent of the red-light and
speed-camera infringement penalty funds into the road trauma trust account. The
road trauma trust account budget has been announced.
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
You've robbed it of 64 000 hours!
The SPEAKER :
Member for Midland!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
On recommendation from the Road Safety Council, we have approved more than $76 million
to be expended from that account this year.
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
Not the RAC; you never agreed to the Road Safety Council's
recommendation.
The SPEAKER : Member for Midland!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
Thank you, Mr Speaker. Of course, that money will go towards our priorities to
help us reduce the road toll. We are spending a proportion of that money on
run-off-road crashes in regional areas and a proportion on improving
metropolitan intersections. Metropolitan intersections, of course, are where most
of our fatalities occur.
Point of Order
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS :
I asked the minister about last year's allocation of money in 2012–13.
She is reading out some prepared notes about this year's allocation and
what the Road Safety Council will do this year. I ask the minister to answer
the questions I asked, which she said she was so pleased to receive, rather
than providing a different set of information.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Midland! Minister, continue, please.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
Thank you, Mr Speaker. As I was saying, we are expending the money on those
areas of concern where we know the majority of our fatalities in this state
occur.
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : What happened to last year's money; can you tell us?
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : It is true that there is a huge amount of money going into the
road trauma trust account.
Ms
M.M. Quirk : You don't know what has happened to it.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : I have announced this year that we are looking at reviewing
the way that money is spent, with the aim of ensuring funds from the road
trauma trust account are spent to help us achieve our goal of reducing the road
toll in Western Australia.
Mrs
M.H. Roberts interjected.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
We do not expend 100 per cent of the funding in each calendar year.
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
Where are the 64 000 hours, minister?
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
We make sure the money is spent on government priorities and that it is used to
reduce the road toll, consistent with our Towards Zero strategy.
I thank the member for this question. Indeed, we are very pleased with this
government's commitment to move 100 per cent of the red-light and
speed-camera infringement penalty funds into the road trauma trust account. The
road trauma trust account budget has been announced.
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
You've robbed it of 64 000 hours!
The SPEAKER :
Member for Midland!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
On recommendation from the Road Safety Council, we have approved more than $76 million
to be expended from that account this year.
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
Not the RAC; you never agreed to the Road Safety Council's
recommendation.
The SPEAKER : Member for Midland!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
Thank you, Mr Speaker. Of course, that money will go towards our priorities to
help us reduce the road toll. We are spending a proportion of that money on
run-off-road crashes in regional areas and a proportion on improving
metropolitan intersections. Metropolitan intersections, of course, are where most
of our fatalities occur.
Point of Order
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS :
I asked the minister about last year's allocation of money in 2012–13.
She is reading out some prepared notes about this year's allocation and
what the Road Safety Council will do this year. I ask the minister to answer
the questions I asked, which she said she was so pleased to receive, rather
than providing a different set of information.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Midland! Minister, continue, please.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
Thank you, Mr Speaker. As I was saying, we are expending the money on those
areas of concern where we know the majority of our fatalities in this state
occur.
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : What happened to last year's money; can you tell us?
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : It is true that there is a huge amount of money going into the
road trauma trust account.
Ms
M.M. Quirk : You don't know what has happened to it.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : I have announced this year that we are looking at reviewing
the way that money is spent, with the aim of ensuring funds from the road
trauma trust account are spent to help us achieve our goal of reducing the road
toll in Western Australia.
Mrs
M.H. Roberts interjected.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
We do not expend 100 per cent of the funding in each calendar year.
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
Where are the 64 000 hours, minister?
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
We make sure the money is spent on government priorities and that it is used to
reduce the road toll, consistent with our Towards Zero strategy.
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