Adjourned debate on second reading.
The Hon. SANDRA KANCK: I commend the Minister for Transport
for introducing this legislation for the Parliament's consideration because
she might otherwise have resorted to regulations, which is the practice
of many other Ministers. That is a way often of sidelining Parliamentóto
introduce issues via regulations. So, the Minister is to be congratulated.
The Minister's second reading explanation was couched in generalities when
the legislation appears to be designed for a specific event, namely, the
Tour Down Under cycling event.
When I first looked at the legislation my initial reaction was
to compare it with the Grand Prix. I asked myself whether or not police
had any difficulty handling that event. It seemed to me that they did not,
so why would they need the benefit of this legislation for a cycling event?
In my mail today I received some promotional material, namely, a Tour Down
Under newsletter dated October 1998, which includes a map of the six stages
of that tour. Now that I have seen that map I have much more sympathy for
the need to have marshals controlling traffic. Stage five of the tour travels
as far north as Nuriootpa; stage two travels as far east as Tungkillo;
stage one travels as far south as Strathalbyn; and as far south as Victor
Harbor and eastwards to Goolwa in stage three. I understand that, in many
of those regions, there would not be enough police on stand-by as a matter
of course, particularly in middle to late January, to be able to handle
the traffic.
It does appear to make sense but it makes sense, as far as I
can tell, as it relates to this one event, hence I question the need for
this legislation. I note, of course, that employees of Transport SA already
have the right to exercise power in both stopping and directing traffic
around roadworks. I spoke to the Minister yesterday about this matter and
she informed me that the Police Commissioner had requested that such legislation,
with which we are dealing at the moment, be introduced into Parliament
precisely because the police could not handle the amount of traffic and
the number of intersec-tions that would be involved in this bicycle race.
The Minister has offered to provide me with a copy of that correspondence
from the Police Commissioner.
As I say, I am sympathetic to the legislation in the case of
the Tour Down Under, but I am wondering whether it requires permanent legislation
and whether, for instance, any other events are envisaged further down
the track that would require such legislation. If no other events are envisaged
in the near future, then I suggest that this legislation may need a sunset
clause. When the Minister responds I would be interested to know who the
marshals will be, how they will be recruited and what training, if any,
they will be given.
I indicate that the Democrats support the second reading. I will,
however, wait to hear what the Minister has to say before moving into Committee
so that I can decide whether or not I should have an amendment drafted
for a sunset clause in this legislation.
The Hon. T.G. ROBERTS secured the adjournment of the debate.
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