Tasmanian Budget Submission

Transcription

1 Tasmanian Budget Submission Enquiries to Vince Taskunas GM Communication & Advocacy, RACT December 2012

2 Table of Contents Introduction... 2 No further direct tax increases for motorists... 3 No further insurance duty increases... 3 An early commitment to Community Roads Program 2 of $100 million... 3 Maintenance of existing road assets... 3 Stabilisation a potential solution: Midland Highway pilot project... 3 Roll out more audible line markings on highways... 4 Funding the forward planning for roads... 4 Tasmania Police: reinvest immediately... 4 Keep building the high-visibility police fleet and research its effects... 5 A strong commitment to increase drug and alcohol testing:... 5 A commitment to maintain and increase ANPR operations:... 5 UN Decade of Action for Road Safety: child restraints in Tasmania... 5 Fuel Price Boards... 6 Green Zone Drive for Tasmania... 6 Tasmanian Government fleet... 6 More signage at known roadkill hotspots to warn road users... 6 Appendix 1: About the RACT... 7 RACT in the Tasmanian Community... 7 Local, national and international linkages... 8 Cover: the newly-opened Brighton Bypass, Midland Highway. 1

3 Introduction Dear Treasurer, Thank you for the opportunity to provide details of the RACT s ideas, priorities and issues in the context of the State Budget. RACT gives its 190,000 Tasmanian members a strong and independent voice on a range of issues that concern them regarding safe, sustainable and affordable mobility in Tasmania. For this reason, the RACT has an ongoing interest and involvement in government policies and programs that affect our members in Tasmania; and has made a submission in past years to the Tasmanian Government s Budget process. The RACT acknowledges the ongoing budgetary constraints the Tasmanian Government is facing. However, these constraints should not preclude measures aimed at affordable, safe and sustainable mobility for Tasmanians. As per the Terms of Reference for this year s consultation RACT has provided summaries of proposals and will seek to discuss these in more detail with relevant Portfolio Ministers. In this Submission, the RACT strongly states its position that our Members bore the brunt of a number of tax increases and Budget cuts, directly and indirectly, in the Budget - and must not do so again this year. In addition, the RACT calls for immediate re-investment in Tasmania Police; an early commitment to a new $100 million round of Community Roads Program funding; reiterates its call for more funds to be utilised in making existing roads safer, especially the Midland Highway; more funds for forward road planning; support for a project to increase child restraint compliance; support for fairer fuel price boards; and a greater investment in audible-tactile profiled (ATP) markings on the Tasmanian road network. This year s Tasmanian Budget Submission continues to build on a number of the recommendations put forward in the RACT s A Roadmap for the Next Tasmanian Government released in February RACT appreciates the opportunity to take part in this year s Budget process. Vince Taskunas General Manager, Communication and Advocacy RACT 2

4 No further direct tax increases for motorists Motorists were targeted in the Budget with increases in the Motor Tax component of registration fees and in the duty payable on MAIB premiums. A 20% increase in the Motor Tax component of registrations and a $14 increase in duty on MAIB premiums meant annual registration fees increases for all vehicles, less than 3 tonnes, of between $34-$48. With significant cost of living pressures from utility bill increases (such as electricity and water) and our members bearing stubbornly high and uncompetitive fuel costs, the Government must not increase the cost of owning and operating a private motor vehicle in this Budget. No further insurance duty increases The duty rate charged on contracts of general insurance also rose from 8% to 10% of the premium paid in the Budget. This affected substantial numbers of our Members and the Government must not again increase the duty associated with these contracts. An early commitment to Community Roads Program 2 of $100 million There must be no further funding deferrals or timeframe relaxations for the previously-committed $90 million Community Roads package, as many of these projects represent accelerated maintenance requirements on roads that have already seriously deteriorated, due to previous delays in getting the works done. To avoid an election cycle focus the RACT calls on the Tasmanian Government to announce an early commitment, in this Budget, to a strong job-creating $100 million Tasmanian Community Roads Program 2. The TCRP2 could be immediately directed to some already-identified projects (some of which RACT has listed in previous Submissions) which would realize safety benefits, freight and traffic efficiencies. These would include (but not be limited to): Esk Main Road projects, progressive upgrades to improve freight efficiency Rokeby Main Road, closing the gaps upgrades Huon Highway, south of Huonville (Corridor Study) Murchison Highway, south of Cradle development road Batman Highway, widening and safety upgrades Maintenance of existing road assets Tasmania must improve the quality of its existing roads; which will, in turn, make them safer. Deterioration of road surfaces and markings leads to escalating replacement costs and, while we wait for them to be fixed up, higher risks for road users. Maintenance of existing road assets continues to face a funding shortfall at approximately $50 million (including all routine and minor works, rehabilitation/reseal work) and a 10% increase of $5 million to the maintenance budget would help revitalize a number of pavement sites in need of rehabilitation. Stabilisation a potential solution: Midland Highway pilot project The road surface condition on the Midland Highway remains a huge concern for RACT members. It appears that the patching repairs that are regularly undertaken make little difference and in fact may 3

5 make the surface less safe. Industry and road authority officials agree that stabilisation (or temporary reinstatement) would be a worthwhile approach to trial on segments of the Midland Highway where there is serious sub-strate inconsistency and consequent surface instability and pavement failure. The Tasmanian Government should invest in a Stabilisation Pilot Project Fund, say $5 million, to allow a number of innovative projects to be undertaken to test the process and confirm whether or not it could have a wider application on roads in poor condition across the network. This work should be undertaken in concert with a reputable consultant like ARRB. Roll out more audible line markings on highways As stated in a previous submission, five-year statistical averages in Tasmania show that around 40% of all fatality crashes and serious injury crashes are single-vehicle, run-off-road (off path on curve, or straight) crashes. Audio tactile profiled [ATP] markings ( rumble strips ) are used extensively overseas (especially in New Zealand, in similar road conditions to Tasmania) and are seen as a low- cost treatment that provides significant road safety benefits. Many Tasmanian rural roads could be made safer using this targeted onroad treatment to directly counter this most prevalent type of crash. Preliminary figures recently provided to RACT by DIER show that since implementing the audible markings on a substantial length of the Midland Highway in , the annual crash rate for off-road single vehicles has dropped approximately 25 to 30%. A Departmental analysis and review should be undertaken to identify the worst-performing roads for this type of crash and then ATP markings funding should be targeted to those roads. Funding the forward planning for roads The Government should commit an additional $10 million over the next four years to fund appropriate forward planning processes for road network improvements across Tasmania. This would ensure that better value for money is being derived from this vital stage in the road project processes. Current investment in road planning has delivered significant cost-benefit results, including acquiring substantial baseline data that is fundamental to ensuring heritage issues can be identified in advance and to avoid cost blow-outs. Tasmania Police: reinvest immediately The budget cuts in the Department of Police and Emergency Management have been both regrettable and damaging. It is an unacceptable situation and the Tasmanian Government must immediately prioritise reinvestment in Tasmania Police to avoid the serious reversal of gains made in recent years in community and road safety. The funding cuts have led to a range of impacts in general policing, including the recent police organisational re-structure but specifically in road safety, as well. RACT members report a perceived reduction in the overall visibility of police operations; and research clearly shows that this will lead to less awareness and belief among drivers that there is a lower likelihood of getting caught if undertaking risky driving behaviour. RACT argues that the budget cuts have forced necessary operational changes, leading to poorer road 4

6 safety outcomes. The Tasmanian Government must, as a priority, reinvest in people and resources in Tasmania Police. This should include recruiting; as well as re-prioritising more high-visibility vehicles and officers to patrolling roads in overt operations. In addition, the following areas remain funding priorities for RACT in the enforcement area: Keep building the high-visibility police fleet and research its effects If more speed cameras and trailers have been purchased, then there should be more high-visibility police vehicle hours, as well. The Government should provide more funding to allow Tasmania Police to devote more resources to increasing the numbers in the fleet of high-visibility patrol vehicles (and their on-road hours) to enforce the road rules that are already in place, and apprehend the minority of drivers that are infringing. A definitive research project to measure community attitudes towards high-visibility police cars would help prioritise investment. A strong commitment to increase drug and alcohol testing: Drugs and alcohol represent one of the highest categories of factors involved in serious casualty crashes in the recent period. Funding needs to be available to increase the drink driving/drug testing regime in , not reduce it. The recent purchase of new RBT equipment is welcome. Again, investment in additional human resources would allow more testing operations. A commitment to maintain and increase ANPR operations: A restricted Police budget must not lead to a reduction in ANPR operations. Rather, funding needs to be available to ensure they are increased. These types of cameras deliver additional, broader policing outcomes (especially when used in conjunction with the Mobile Data Terminals). Operations have demonstrated their effectiveness in detecting disqualified drivers, unlicensed drivers and unregistered vehicles on Tasmanian roads. RACT understands that the total cost of an ANPR camera is less than $100,000. UN Decade of Action for Road Safety: child restraints in Tasmania Between 2007 and 2011 in Tasmania, nearly 14% of vehicle occupants involved in a serious casualty crash were not wearing a seat belt or restraint, according to figures from DIER. In the Annual Report: Deaths of Children and Young People, Queensland, where an interstate comparison of national child death statistics (including jurisdictions QLD, NSW, VIC, SA, Tas) was undertaken, it was found that Tasmania had the highest rate of child death from transport (rate of 7.6 per ). In its 2010 Annual Report, the Tasmanian Council of Obstetric and Paediatric Mortality and Morbidity stated that motor vehicle accident was still the type of injury that led to the highest number of paediatric deaths in Tasmania in that year. The Council wrote: Paediatric death associated with road trauma continues to be highlighted. Road and traffic safety need to continue to be improved to help prevent such unnecessary deaths in Tasmania. Enforcement of appropriate use of restraints such as wearing of seatbelts needs to be strengthened in view of cases reported to have been unrestrained passengers in motor vehicle accidents. We simply cannot assume that everyone knows the rules. This is certainly the case with child restraints, 5

7 where regulations were changed recently, leaving a number of parents and guardians unsure or unaware of what s legal, and what isn t. As part of the commitment to the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety , RACT is going to focus advocacy and education efforts in Tasmania on trying to reduce the incidence of seat belt and child restraint-related serious casualties, over coming years. RACT will seek funding support from the Tasmanian Government to develop a program and campaigns to address these statistics. Fuel Price Boards The recent release of the public consultation discussion paper Consumers and Fuel Price Boards by the Ministers responsible for consumer affairs (CAF) seeks the views of stakeholders regarding the display of price information on fuel price boards. The RACT will seek the support of the Tasmanian consumer affairs Minister to address a number of detriments faced by some members including the lack of visibility of price boards; confusion promoted by the prominence of discount prices as opposed to the actual price charged; and the display of only one or two fuel prices. Green Zone Drive for Tasmania There has been significant growth in the numbers of low-emission vehicles (LEVs) in the last twelve months. Green Zone Drive is an innovative event highlighting the wide range of LEVs available to the public. See for more information. The Tasmanian Government should host a similar Green Zone Drive event for Tasmanians; and PW1 or Inveresk would be ideal venues. Tasmanian Government fleet The Tasmanian Government could increase the safety of its vehicle fleet and increase the overall safety of the future Tasmanian second-hand light vehicle market by mandating a five-star ANCAP safety rating for all of its light passenger vehicle fleet purchases. More signage at known roadkill hotspots to warn road users Roadkill is a major threat to the survival of the Tasmanian Devil species, now that it is so seriously depleted by facial tumour disease. Tasmanian drivers are under-educated about how to avoid wildlife collisions. The Tasmanian Government must use existing research (Hobday etc) to identify known hotspots and fund improved wildlife hazard signage in high-devil-roadkill-risk areas, using more static signs; or signs with flashing warning lights, as is being currently being trialled. 6

8 Appendix 1: About the RACT RACT in the Tasmanian Community Formed in 1923, the RACT is an apolitical infrastructure and safe mobility advocate. Total membership of the RACT, including commercial arrangements and relationship memberships stands at around 190,000 and continues to grow. Our member magazine, Journeys, is distributed to around 115,000 households every two months; in addition, a full-view digital version is available through the RACT s website The RACT Community Fund provides several grants of up to $2,000 to community not-for-profit groups to support worthy local community projects, in two funding rounds per annum. Since its inception in 2008, the RACT Community Fund has received hundreds of applications from across Tasmania. RACT also maintains a range of support partnerships with a diverse collection of Tasmanian community groups and charities including RYDA in Tasmania; The Tasmanian Air Rescue Trust; the Sober Driver program; The Clown Doctors (Tasmania); The Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal; The Smith Family literacy projects; Headway Rebuilding Lives; The Salvation Army; and The Choir of High Hopes (Hobart). Around the State, the RACT maintains a significant local branch network; a structure which is unique in many ways across Tasmania s corporate sector and community groups. Nine city and town branches provide a local presence in the community, supplying important feedback on local attitudes and concerns and giving members and non-members alike a community hub to voice their concerns about matters concerning their families, businesses or town. The RACT relies on the support and advice provided to it by its members through our network. Our three Regional Advisory Committees meet regularly and are made up of locally-resident RACT financial members, who serve on these committees on a voluntary basis, many with current or previous road or traffic experience in their work, professional or family lives. The Committees report to a specific RACT Board Committee constituted to deal with the issues: the Road and Traffic Committee. The Regional Advisory Committee Charter states, in part, that a Committee s role is to: consider road design and traffic management issues within the region and to liaise with and make recommendations to the relevant local authorities to improve road design, road safety and traffic management [and] consider and make recommendations to the RACT Board regarding road safety, public education and enforcement policy issues. The RACT also deploys dedicated resources to coordinate its policy making, public relations and advocacy and to liaise with key State and Federal stake holders. On a range of motoring-related matters such as mechanical safety, technical support, and the fitting of child restraints, the RACT retains a body of expertise within its own staff. 7

9 Local, national and international linkages The RACT is represented by senior staff on stakeholder reference organisations in Tasmania and undertakes structured liaison with local government, business organisations, not-for-profit groups, educational bodies, political parties, service organisations, and professionals in the transport and road safety industries. The RACT s CEO is a member of the Road Safety Advisory Council. The RACT s officers also meet on a regular basis with relevant regulatory authorities in Tasmania including officers from the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources (DIER), Tasmania Police and other government agencies. Nationally, the RACT is a constituent member of the Australian Automobile Association (AAA), which represents some 7 million Australian motorists and maintains a secretariat in Canberra. See for the AAA s national campaign for better and safer roads. The RACT is a regular contributor to the committees and forums of the AAA. The President of RACT and the CEO are members of the Board of the AAA. The General Manager (Communication & Advocacy) is a member of the AAA s public policy forum (PPF) and communications managers group (CMG). Internationally, the RACT has joined with the other Australian motoring organisations as a member of the Fédération Internationale de l Automobile (FIA) to work on road safety and related issues at a global level see This includes the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety and Make Roads Safe campaigns to put global road traffic injuries on the G8 and UN agenda. 8