Tuesday, 3 October 2023

Motorcyclist safety

Ann-Marie HERMANS (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (17:44): (470) My adjournment is for the Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC in the other place, and the action I seek is to review and abolish the safety tax imposed on motorcyclists in 2002, since none of the money which is collected by the government – amounting to $34 million to date – has been spent on road safety or road improvements as was intended. In 2002 the Transport Accident Commission – the TAC, as we know it to be – introduced a $50 targeted motorcycle safety levy, and this levy is still hidden within the compulsory third-party insurance premium which is collected by VicRoads and is now at $78. Recommendation 25 in the 2012 report from the Victorian parliamentary inquiry into motorcycle safety, or the PIMS, said:

The safety levy is a contentious charge and represents the only example of a levy applied to a specific road user group. The issues identified by the Committee with respect to the levy were multifaceted. They ranged from the oversight arrangements applied to its use, through to the effectiveness of safety levy projects and the effectiveness of the levy overall. Important findings included the absence of project evaluations and qualitative reviews which make it difficult to measure its effectiveness.

That is from page xxiv. In light of the road toll at present, which is that 31 motorcyclists have died on Victorian roads to date compared to 37 for the whole of 2022, it is clear we are going backwards in keeping our road users safe. It is interesting to note that a spokesperson for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne MP was quoted as saying that motorcyclists were ‘among the most vulnerable road users’. This person also went on to say:

The Motorcycle Safety Levy contributes to infrastructure upgrades and projects that improve safety for motorcycle riders.

That is from the Herald Sun of 30 August. The article states that motorcycle riders association spokesperson John Eacott argued that:

The budgeting and funding models were wrong … because they did not prioritise “motorcycle specific” treatments or road design which, in turn, aided all road users.

It states:

“If such works makes it safer for all road users, then it should be funded from general revenue sources,” Mr Eacott said.

In 2023 road-registered motorcycles or scooters or the electric equivalent pay a $601 compulsory third-party premium, and this includes the hidden motorcycle safety levy, or Transport Accident Commission tax. Cars, SUVs and motorhomes pay only $502. In 2021 the TAC sponsored many organisations in the name of road safety, but many of these groups have little or nothing to do with safety. Possibly they are to do with corporate image and prestige. Among these are Country Racing Victoria, $273,000; Melbourne International Comedy Festival, $150,000; and Winemakers of Rutherglen, $52,000 – and that was just in one financial year. The money would be better spent in repairing neglected roads, subsidising protective clothing for riders, using the MotoCAP system and on-road user education. I ask the minister to review and respond to any findings on this unfair levy, which is not being used for what it was intended to be, and ask the minister to outline what steps are being taken to improve Victorian roads to prevent further carnage for motorcyclists.