❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice addresses safety concerns at Barbagallo Raceway following a fatal incident. The Minister for Sport and Recreation outlines actions taken, including referring the matter of report communication to the Public Sector Commissioner.
AnsweredQoN 904Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BARBAGALLO RACEWAY — RISK LEVELS
904. Mr P.B. WATSON to the
Minister for Sport and Recreation:
I refer to the report into the safety of Barbagallo Raceway
that identified noncompliant issues on the circuit with high and extreme risk
levels.
(1) When was
the minister or her office first advised of the conclusions made in the draft
or finalised report?
(2) What
action did the minister or her office take once she was first aware of these
serious conclusions?
(3) Given that
the report concluded that it was unsafe for motorcycle racing, why was the track
not closed immediately?
904. Mr P.B. WATSON to the
Minister for Sport and Recreation:
I refer to the report into the safety of Barbagallo Raceway
that identified noncompliant issues on the circuit with high and extreme risk
levels.
(1) When was
the minister or her office first advised of the conclusions made in the draft
or finalised report?
(2) What
action did the minister or her office take once she was first aware of these
serious conclusions?
(3) Given that
the report concluded that it was unsafe for motorcycle racing, why was the track
not closed immediately?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3)
I thank the member for the question. This is a serious issue. Before I go any
further I would like to extend my deepest sympathy to the family and friends of
Chris Adley, who lost his life, and to the families and friends of the other
motorcyclists who have lost their lives at Barbagallo Raceway.
I understand that the coroner has
attended the track and an investigation is being conducted. I want to make it
very clear that the department neither regulates nor owns the track. It is
privately operated, and it is sanctioned and regulated by a body called
Motorcycling Australia. Serious concerns have been raised about the safety of
the track for some time, and as a result of those concerns the Department of
Sport and Recreation facilitated the commissioning of an independent safety
audit earlier this year. That was off the back of a number of complaints that
have been made quite publicly and directly to the regulator and the operator of
Barbagallo Raceway.
I became aware the department was
in receipt of the report on Sunday after the incident had occurred. A copy of
the report was given to me on Monday, so I was not aware of the report. That
was one of the member's questions. I was not aware that the department
had a copy of the final report on the Friday before the incident occurred.
Having read the report, I instructed the department immediately to verbally
advise the key stakeholders that would be interested in the findings of the
report, so they could make a decision about whether racing could continue. That
was done on the Monday, as I understand it. My instruction to the department,
when I had seen the report, was to advise it to immediately verbally advise the
key stakeholders, so they could make decisions about the future of racing at
the track.
Over the course of the past week,
I have reviewed some of the documentation on that report and how it was
communicated. I have since referred the matter of the communication and
management of that report to the Public Sector Commissioner, because it raised
enough concerns with me to have someone independent look at it. The Public
Sector Commissioner is currently having a look at that, and that is a matter
for him to advise on.
I want to say that, regardless of
whether the Department of Sport and Recreation had commissioned the report,
Motorcycling Australia has continued to sanction events at Barbagallo Raceway
in the event of serious accidents and incidents, and there has been concern
about that track for some time. The department has facilitated an independent
report. It has tried to facilitate an outcome with the key stakeholders
responsible for the management and sanctioning of events at that facility. I
have had some concerns about the management of the communication of that
report. Immediately upon being made aware that that report was with the
department, I referred that matter to the Public Sector Commissioner.
I thank the member for the question. This is a serious issue. Before I go any
further I would like to extend my deepest sympathy to the family and friends of
Chris Adley, who lost his life, and to the families and friends of the other
motorcyclists who have lost their lives at Barbagallo Raceway.
I understand that the coroner has
attended the track and an investigation is being conducted. I want to make it
very clear that the department neither regulates nor owns the track. It is
privately operated, and it is sanctioned and regulated by a body called
Motorcycling Australia. Serious concerns have been raised about the safety of
the track for some time, and as a result of those concerns the Department of
Sport and Recreation facilitated the commissioning of an independent safety
audit earlier this year. That was off the back of a number of complaints that
have been made quite publicly and directly to the regulator and the operator of
Barbagallo Raceway.
I became aware the department was
in receipt of the report on Sunday after the incident had occurred. A copy of
the report was given to me on Monday, so I was not aware of the report. That
was one of the member's questions. I was not aware that the department
had a copy of the final report on the Friday before the incident occurred.
Having read the report, I instructed the department immediately to verbally
advise the key stakeholders that would be interested in the findings of the
report, so they could make a decision about whether racing could continue. That
was done on the Monday, as I understand it. My instruction to the department,
when I had seen the report, was to advise it to immediately verbally advise the
key stakeholders, so they could make decisions about the future of racing at
the track.
Over the course of the past week,
I have reviewed some of the documentation on that report and how it was
communicated. I have since referred the matter of the communication and
management of that report to the Public Sector Commissioner, because it raised
enough concerns with me to have someone independent look at it. The Public
Sector Commissioner is currently having a look at that, and that is a matter
for him to advise on.
I want to say that, regardless of
whether the Department of Sport and Recreation had commissioned the report,
Motorcycling Australia has continued to sanction events at Barbagallo Raceway
in the event of serious accidents and incidents, and there has been concern
about that track for some time. The department has facilitated an independent
report. It has tried to facilitate an outcome with the key stakeholders
responsible for the management and sanctioning of events at that facility. I
have had some concerns about the management of the communication of that
report. Immediately upon being made aware that that report was with the
department, I referred that matter to the Public Sector Commissioner.
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