Wednesday, 3 June 2026

 John LISTER (Werribee) (10:33): Doing a mono down Synnot Street on an e-bike does not make the rider tough, it shows how dumb they act. I would like to return to a report that I have explored previously but I know is of significant interest to my community in Werribee. The inquiry into the impact of road safety on vulnerable road users explored a range of issues, but there are two matters that the committee reported on in its findings that I wish to focus on.

Not too long ago I attended a rescue call with Werribee CFA, with a person trapped under a car. I raced out of my electorate office and jumped on the pumper. We were the first road crash operators on the scene. I am very careful about what I talk about when I am acting in my capacity as a firefighter, but there are details it would be inappropriate for me to reveal about the incident. However, it was widely reported that the individual stuck underneath this car was riding a modified bike with an electric motor. This is not the first incident I have attended involving a motorised bike, in particular an e-bike. I would like to thank the crews from pumper 57 who were there on the day for helping with the rapid extrication of this patient. We got him out in probably 5 minutes. It was one of the most amazing rescues I have seen for a long time in that sense.

The committee, at the time when they were looking into this, went to issues surrounding e-scooters, but I believe the issues they grappled with extend to other personal mobility vehicles.

There have been reports of a 400 per cent increase in ED presentations for e-bike related incidents, and unfortunately some tragic deaths. Finding 46 goes to the fact that regulations have not kept up with the growing popularity of e-scooters. Finding 48 goes to the general lack of understanding about road rules relating to e-scooters and other micromobility devices among Victorians.

Just like other MPs, the issue of e-bikes is raised regularly with me. People are concerned about their proliferation and the need for more enforcement around road rules. With this most recent incident I attended as a firefighter, my resolve has been strengthened to advocate for more work in this space. I acknowledge the state government’s response to the inquiry findings and recommendations in this regard. There is work being done around education and awareness of the risks associated with these vehicles. In the government’s response they also raised the issue of border control and consistent rules around Australia in response to the proliferation of these vehicles, saying that:

Victoria will continue to advocate to the Australian Government to use import restrictions to limit the availability of e-scooters … which are illegal to use on public infrastructure throughout Australia.

Many people in Werribee would have noticed an increase in e-bikes over the last few years. As a high school teacher I used to see many kids coming to school on e-bikes that definitely did not look like they were able to go under 25 kilometres an hour – very much hotted up.

How did these people get these e-bikes, and what adult is responsible for letting them still ride them? To the first question, reporter Ben Knight offered some interesting insights into the changes made in an article in the ABC on the weekend. In 2021 then Nationals minister and now One Nation turncoat Barnaby Joyce and his assistant minister Kevin Hogan made a very quiet – you could say ‘silent’ – change to importation standards for e-bikes. These changes saw a spike in the number of e-bikes that did not meet our road rules being imported. Barnaby Joyce and his offsider have not provided a reason for this change. This morning I wrote to the One Nation member for New England asking him to please explain. I thank our federal MP Joanne Ryan for pursuing this and recognise that the federal Labor government has reversed this decision by Joyce and Hogan and we are seeing more restrictions at the border.

To return to the committee report, recommendation 16 goes to reporting of dangerous behaviour on the road. Members of the public should continue to report illegal e-bike riding to police. If it is a risk to life, call 000. If it is not an immediate risk, contact Crime Stoppers, as it helps local highway patrol gather evidence and target their patrols around particularly problematic areas. To address this concerning behaviour all agencies need to continue to work with the community, because micromobility is a good thing but we need to make sure that it is safe and that what is coming over our borders is meeting standards for our roads. I do not want to go to another incident where we see someone who was on one of these vehicles underneath a car or in a worse state than we found this person in. I commend the committee’s report and look forward to continuing to work in the government on this issue.