❓ Question regarding train visibility and safety measures, particularly in regional areas. Minister responds by highlighting government investment in level crossing upgrades and a national approach to train lighting, while also criticizing the previous government's inaction.
AnsweredQoN 369Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Railway networks—Safety369.Mr Lachlan Hunterto
theMinister for Transport:Before I start, I
want to put on the record on behalf of all members that we are thinking about
those two police officers who have been injured in a car accident just out of
Northam in my electorate.Today during my
grievance in Parliament, the Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport
dismissed calls for mandatory train lighting by claiming that 70% of collisions
occur during daylight hours.Why are trains still
exempt from the most basic visibility measures applied everywhere else on our
roads, including to modern vehicles that are fitted with daytime running
lights?Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Members!
theMinister for Transport:Before I start, I
want to put on the record on behalf of all members that we are thinking about
those two police officers who have been injured in a car accident just out of
Northam in my electorate.Today during my
grievance in Parliament, the Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport
dismissed calls for mandatory train lighting by claiming that 70% of collisions
occur during daylight hours.Why are trains still
exempt from the most basic visibility measures applied everywhere else on our
roads, including to modern vehicles that are fitted with daytime running
lights?Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Members!
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
21 August 2025
Response time
0 days
Ms Rita Saffioti replied:I thank the member
for that question. No government has done more for regional rail safety than
this government. No government has acted more on regional rail crossings and
road safety than this government. I will go back to the incident that was
referred to this morning. It happened 25 years ago when the opposition had been
in government for eight years and did nothing. If members opposite want to play
politics on this, they were in a government—An opposition member
interjected.Ms Rita Saffioti:Yes, they were. No-one takes this
issue more seriously than us. We have injected a record amount into changing passive
level crossings to active level crossings; changing give-way signs to stop
signs across the state; and introducing new technology to support the
electronic flashing signs. The reality is that there are hundreds across the
state and we are working through them. Some are controlled by Arc
Infrastructure for local government. No-one is taking this issue—Mr Lachlan Hunter:What about the trains,
minister?The Speaker:Member for Central Wheatbelt, the
minister is responding to your question. If you want to get a supplementary
question, I would let her do that.Ms Rita Saffioti:No-one is taking this issue more
seriously than us. The issue of lighting on trains was raised a number of years
ago. We, along with the new federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional
Development and Local Government, Hon Catherine King, took it to the Infrastructure
and Transport Ministers' Meeting. Within a number of months of the issue being
raised, we took it to the federal level and a national protocol has been
established. That has to be established nationally because rail safety is governed
by a national body and, as a result, we need to bring it to the national level.
In the meantime, we are undertaking a lighting trial in Western Australia that is
currently being assessed with the results to be released very, very soon.We are absolutely committed to rail safety. As I said,
no state and government has done more to improve the levelcrossings
throughout the community. We are investing like never before in level crossing
safety across the state. I will provide some figures. For example, in terms of
existing stop sign assemblies, 378 stop sign–controlled crossings will
be replaced by increased signage and upgrades. Our capital works program
includes improvements at—Mr Basil Zempilasinterjected.The Speaker:Leader of the Opposition.Mr Basil Zempilasinterjected.The Speaker:Leader of the Opposition!Mr Basil Zempilasinterjected.The Speaker:Leader of the Opposition! Carry on,
minister.Ms Rita Saffioti:I had an appointment at my mother's
nursing home.Mr Basil Zempilasinterjected.The Speaker:Leader of the Opposition!Ms Rita Saffioti:Yes.Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Members!Ms Kim Giddensinterjected.The Speaker:Member for Bateman!Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Members! Carry on, minister.Ms Rita Saffioti:You are a shameful human being—a
shameful human being.Let us go through it—2024
to 2029 capital works program. A number of projects are being funded at 82
locations, with 19 flashing lights to boom gate upgrades; two stop signs to
boom gate upgrades; seven—Mr Lachlan Hunterinterjected.The Speaker:Member for Central Wheatbelt!Ms Rita Saffioti:In case the member does not know,
they are intrinsically linked.Mr Lachlan Hunterinterjected.The Speaker:Member for Central Wheatbelt, you have
asked the question. The minister is responding.Mr Lachlan Hunterinterjected.The Speaker:Member for Central Wheatbelt! Sit down
for a second, minister. Member for Central Wheatbelt, you need to learn the
rules of this place. There are standing orders. When I talk, no-one else talks,
especially you. If you carry on continuing to talk when I am actually seeking
your attention, you will not be in here for very much longer. Carry on, minister.Ms Rita Saffioti:We have changed seven give-way signs
to flashing light controls; we have installed 22 flashing lights or boom gates renewals;
we have upgraded four passive to active pedestrian crossings; we have upgraded 11
pedestrian crossings; and we have worked on compliance with disability. No
government in the history of this state is doing more or spending more in
relation to rail safety across the regions.Mr Lachlan Hunterinterjected.The Speaker:Member for Central Wheatbelt, I call you
to order for the first time.Ms Rita Saffioti:The issue of lighting, as I said,
falls under the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator. As a result, we
have to do things in conjunction with the national regulator. We, together with
the Commonwealth, put it on the agenda about two years ago. Trials have been
undertaken on lighting through companies like CBH Group and Horizon Power, and we
will continue to work to make sure that we improve that safety.As I said, no state
government has done more. I cannot believe the opposition was in government for
eight and a half years with all that Royalties for Regions spending, and what
did it do for rail safety in this region? It did nothing—nothing!Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Members!Ms Rita Saffioti:So for eight and a half years—Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Minister!Mr Lachlan Hunterinterjected.The Speaker:Member for Central Wheatbelt!Ms Sabine Wintoninterjected.The Speaker:Minister for Family and Domestic
Violence, thank you. Carry on, minister.Ms Rita Saffioti:Members opposite were in government
for eight and a half years, including after this tragedy that has been referred
to occurred, and they did nothing. We got into government. We are improving the
safety of rail crossings across regional WA by replacing give-way signs with stop
signs and by creating boom gates with flashing lights and improving them across
the state. Across the metropolitan area we have removed 15 level crossings. We
are doing all this work. As I said, we have put train lighting on the agenda. We
have got a trial underway and we will continue to work on a national level.This is something
that I have been working on with my federal counterparts over many years. We
will continue to improve safety on regional roads—it was the National
Party that said it was not up to RFR funding: "We shouldn't be spending Royalties
for Regions funds to fix regional roads"—and the safety of rail
level crossings.We are
doing all that we can to reduce the incidence of accidents across the state and
that is what we will continue to do.
Railway networks—Safety
for that question. No government has done more for regional rail safety than
this government. No government has acted more on regional rail crossings and
road safety than this government. I will go back to the incident that was
referred to this morning. It happened 25 years ago when the opposition had been
in government for eight years and did nothing. If members opposite want to play
politics on this, they were in a government—An opposition member
interjected.Ms Rita Saffioti:Yes, they were. No-one takes this
issue more seriously than us. We have injected a record amount into changing passive
level crossings to active level crossings; changing give-way signs to stop
signs across the state; and introducing new technology to support the
electronic flashing signs. The reality is that there are hundreds across the
state and we are working through them. Some are controlled by Arc
Infrastructure for local government. No-one is taking this issue—Mr Lachlan Hunter:What about the trains,
minister?The Speaker:Member for Central Wheatbelt, the
minister is responding to your question. If you want to get a supplementary
question, I would let her do that.Ms Rita Saffioti:No-one is taking this issue more
seriously than us. The issue of lighting on trains was raised a number of years
ago. We, along with the new federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional
Development and Local Government, Hon Catherine King, took it to the Infrastructure
and Transport Ministers' Meeting. Within a number of months of the issue being
raised, we took it to the federal level and a national protocol has been
established. That has to be established nationally because rail safety is governed
by a national body and, as a result, we need to bring it to the national level.
In the meantime, we are undertaking a lighting trial in Western Australia that is
currently being assessed with the results to be released very, very soon.We are absolutely committed to rail safety. As I said,
no state and government has done more to improve the levelcrossings
throughout the community. We are investing like never before in level crossing
safety across the state. I will provide some figures. For example, in terms of
existing stop sign assemblies, 378 stop sign–controlled crossings will
be replaced by increased signage and upgrades. Our capital works program
includes improvements at—Mr Basil Zempilasinterjected.The Speaker:Leader of the Opposition.Mr Basil Zempilasinterjected.The Speaker:Leader of the Opposition!Mr Basil Zempilasinterjected.The Speaker:Leader of the Opposition! Carry on,
minister.Ms Rita Saffioti:I had an appointment at my mother's
nursing home.Mr Basil Zempilasinterjected.The Speaker:Leader of the Opposition!Ms Rita Saffioti:Yes.Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Members!Ms Kim Giddensinterjected.The Speaker:Member for Bateman!Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Members! Carry on, minister.Ms Rita Saffioti:You are a shameful human being—a
shameful human being.Let us go through it—2024
to 2029 capital works program. A number of projects are being funded at 82
locations, with 19 flashing lights to boom gate upgrades; two stop signs to
boom gate upgrades; seven—Mr Lachlan Hunterinterjected.The Speaker:Member for Central Wheatbelt!Ms Rita Saffioti:In case the member does not know,
they are intrinsically linked.Mr Lachlan Hunterinterjected.The Speaker:Member for Central Wheatbelt, you have
asked the question. The minister is responding.Mr Lachlan Hunterinterjected.The Speaker:Member for Central Wheatbelt! Sit down
for a second, minister. Member for Central Wheatbelt, you need to learn the
rules of this place. There are standing orders. When I talk, no-one else talks,
especially you. If you carry on continuing to talk when I am actually seeking
your attention, you will not be in here for very much longer. Carry on, minister.Ms Rita Saffioti:We have changed seven give-way signs
to flashing light controls; we have installed 22 flashing lights or boom gates renewals;
we have upgraded four passive to active pedestrian crossings; we have upgraded 11
pedestrian crossings; and we have worked on compliance with disability. No
government in the history of this state is doing more or spending more in
relation to rail safety across the regions.Mr Lachlan Hunterinterjected.The Speaker:Member for Central Wheatbelt, I call you
to order for the first time.Ms Rita Saffioti:The issue of lighting, as I said,
falls under the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator. As a result, we
have to do things in conjunction with the national regulator. We, together with
the Commonwealth, put it on the agenda about two years ago. Trials have been
undertaken on lighting through companies like CBH Group and Horizon Power, and we
will continue to work to make sure that we improve that safety.As I said, no state
government has done more. I cannot believe the opposition was in government for
eight and a half years with all that Royalties for Regions spending, and what
did it do for rail safety in this region? It did nothing—nothing!Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Members!Ms Rita Saffioti:So for eight and a half years—Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Minister!Mr Lachlan Hunterinterjected.The Speaker:Member for Central Wheatbelt!Ms Sabine Wintoninterjected.The Speaker:Minister for Family and Domestic
Violence, thank you. Carry on, minister.Ms Rita Saffioti:Members opposite were in government
for eight and a half years, including after this tragedy that has been referred
to occurred, and they did nothing. We got into government. We are improving the
safety of rail crossings across regional WA by replacing give-way signs with stop
signs and by creating boom gates with flashing lights and improving them across
the state. Across the metropolitan area we have removed 15 level crossings. We
are doing all this work. As I said, we have put train lighting on the agenda. We
have got a trial underway and we will continue to work on a national level.This is something
that I have been working on with my federal counterparts over many years. We
will continue to improve safety on regional roads—it was the National
Party that said it was not up to RFR funding: "We shouldn't be spending Royalties
for Regions funds to fix regional roads"—and the safety of rail
level crossings.We are
doing all that we can to reduce the incidence of accidents across the state and
that is what we will continue to do.
Railway networks—Safety
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