Legislative Council
18 November 1998
 ROAD TRAFFIC (ROAD EVENTS) AMENDMENT BILL

 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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